Believing in the Beautiful Things
by IsabellaWinxSirenix
Summary: After a malfunction with an inter-dimensional portal, the WordGirl characters find themselves in our world! This seems like every WG fan's dream, at least until a certain alien dictator crashes the party. Will the four intrepid wiki girls save the day? Part 1 of the Beautiful Souls series.
1. Prologue: Down the Rabbit Hole

**Greetings everyone! It's your *hopefully* good pal Bella/WinxMagiaDiWordGirl, back with another story! Now, this particular story wasn't made just by me. This story was born through the extensive randomness of the WordGirl wikia. So, allow me to give a HUGE shout-out to those who also contributed to writing this story: TheLivingMe, LexiconWolfGirl, and KerrytheBrony. Without them, this story would not have been possible, so if you want someone to thank, they're the ones to go to. Now, on the wikia, we wrote this in script style, just as a joke, but I loved the idea so much that I wanted to put my own spin on it. This won't have my exact same writing style, for there will be humor that's actually humorous and LOTS of fourth-wall breaking. Bear with me, folks.**

* * *

"Isn't it finished yet?" demanded WordGirl irritably to Two-Brains, hating herself at once when she heard the bitter edge in her words that had yet to fade with time. Even now, three weeks later, she still had difficulty breaking the habits Miss Power had pressed upon her. Huggy had been very supportive to her, but she forlornly doubted her personality would ever be quite the same, or at least, any time soon. Nevertheless, WordGirl had a good reason for being cross. She deplored having so much association with the villains, but over the past few weeks, she had no choice. Miss Power had vehemently refused to leave the planet after her defeat, so she had been locked away in the highest security prison in Fair City. The only reason she hadn't broken out was because she was constantly being sedated.

WordGirl knew this wouldn't do. Over the past few days, scientists had concluded that Miss Power's immune system was slowly but surely learning to overcome and destroy the anesthesia being ejected into her bloodstream. Because WordGirl resolutely refused to take the alien's life, she was forced to collaborate with the villains to find a way to transport Miss Power to a place where she wouldn't hurt anybody.

It was Two-Brains who had devised the idea of a trans-dimensional portal, and WordGirl had to admit, it was ingenious, albeit tedious. For three weeks, the doctor had labored incessantly on the device, and today was its completion. Fair City's finest super heroine, along with every single villain in Fair City, had amassed here in Two-Brains' warehouse lair to witness Miss Power being sent away for good. Miss Power herself was bound with chains of solid steel and tossed into an unconscious heap in the corner.

"Ugh, you're so impatient!" the evil scientist remarked, screwing on what seemed to WordGirl the zillionth bolt. "I'd like to see you try building something close to this."

"It might not be as good as yours, but at least I'd be much faster," WordGirl replied sulkily.

"Do you know where she'll go?" asked Chuck, nervously glancing at Miss Power as if she were a raging, fire-breathing dragon about to strike.

"She'll be transported to an alternative dimension," Two-Brains replied. "According to my research and experimentation, all dimensions are connected in one way or another. We are all in every dimension, just in different forms. What I'm trying to do is find the connection between our dimension and another one so we can teleport Miss Power."

"Hey, I think you found something!" exclaimed Tobey, who had somehow wriggled his way though the crowd so he was standing right next to WordGirl, a situation she was nowhere near close to pleased with. The boy genius pointed to the machine's monitor, which was previously blank, now had a single red dot blinking rapidly.

Two-Brains tapped the dot once, which then transformed into a webpage.

"The WordGirl wikia?" read WordGirl in astonishment. At once, the humongous funnel attached to the dashboard began to glow a brilliant neon green.

"It works!" exclaimed Two-Brains, elated.

"Yes, an excellent observation, _Doctor," _sneered a menacing voice behind him. Everyone turned around in unison to behold Miss Power, fully awake, clutching the fragmented remains of the iron chains, her face livid. "Thanks to you, you've brought me freedom." Faster than even WordGirl herself could react, Miss Power speeded to the controls of the inter-dimensional portal, typing in a sequence of numbers. When she was done, the machine changed like a traffic light from green to deepest crimson.

"Oh no!" cried WordGirl over the piercing wind which had sprung up from the funnel, dragging not only Miss Power but also everyone else in the room into its inky black depths.

Above the screaming wind, the Lexiconian could just hear her worst nemesis say, "Maybe I can't conquer this dimension, but perhaps Fate will look down kindly upon me in another."

And with that, all the WordGirl characters were dragged from their blissful fantasy into an insignificant, over-rated realm called reality.

* * *

**Yeah, that prologue was pretty short, I know, but I couldn't think of what else to write. I'm doing the every-other-day pattern once more, or at least, as long as I can, so Chapter 1 comes on Wednesday!**

**Love to all,**

**Bella**


	2. Unexpected Visitor

**Hello everyone! I have some new reviewers *squeal of delight* this time around, so I'd like to thank lightball34, KimDWil71, TLBB, FluffyKitten, kerrykoopa26, LuluDove, and MusicNeverStops474 for your kind comments! **

**I'm not trying to hog the spotlight or anything, but this chapter is going to feature me, or at least, Rosalie Winters, my fake pseudonym. (Whoever knows where Rosalie Winters came from gets a special prize: a sneak peek of Chapter 3!) That's just how it worked out. Don't worry, the others will get their turn in the upcoming chapters. **

* * *

"There was another reason she took her books whenever they went away. They were her home when she was somewhere strange. They were familiar voices, friends that never quarreled with her, clever, powerful friends - daring and knowledgeable, tried and tested adventurers who had traveled far and wide. Her books cheered her up when she was sad and kept her from being bored."

― Cornelia Funke, _Inkheart_

* * *

Rosalie Winters plopped down onto her plush pink beanbag, ready to spend the entire afternoon like she usually did on a lazy summer day, curled up with one of her favorite books. Her bright pink summer dress crumpled and wrinkled as she sat down, stretching her hand to reach the bookshelf where her dearest classics resided. Today, she chose _Inkheart, _an old favorite since she was nine. Making sure she was in the prefect reading position, she opened the faded paperback, already able to hear the enchanting words whispering in her ear. In a way, she could easily relate to Meggie, the main character, born with the ability to bring words to life by reading aloud, about the subtly yet magical power of books. Books were almost good as reality, sometimes better, and for someone with such a vivid imagination as Rosalie, the characters became her best friends when real ones were scarce.

Don't get her wrong: she did have friends, but they were a tightly knit group, – a trio to be precise – and as always with such numbering, someone was always ensured to be left out. And while she was rarely this person, her friends were often away, leaving her alone in her spacious library, the books' pages worn from the child's eager fingers as she delved into yet another universe, whether it was Ariel's underwater paradise from when she was six or a harsh, re-invented Wonderland from the present.

Her parents always encouraged Rosalie to bring out the best of her academic brilliance by reading, providing another book the instant her eyes had greedily drunk in the final page of another. They didn't want her growing up like many of her idiotic dolts, spending all their time at the mall or fawning over the latest boy band in _Seventeen, _and Roaslie was more than willing to comply with their wishes_. _

On a particularly depressing day, Rosalie would always dash straight to the library and open the book she knew would tell her just the right words to make her feel better. Books were a blessed escape in times of sorrow, audacious companions in times of loneliness, and a comforting reassurance when her world seemed to be falling apart.

But today, Rosalie couldn't manage to lose herself into the world of fresh paper and printer's ink. Her mind followed her eyes to the framed portrait propped up on her dresser, his jubilantly smiling face a taunting omen. His messy black hair, slightly lopsided glasses, and endearing smile were the picture of blissful youth, unhampered with troubling thoughts of his demise. The boy's name was Jacob, and today was the two-year anniversary of his death.

At the age of seven, Jacob had been killed in a drive-by shooting in Chicago as he walked home from school, causing Rosalie's two grief-stricken parents to uproot the family and move to San Francisco, California. Once there, they both immersed themselves vigorously and whole-heartedly into their career in computer software, soon tripling the family wealth.

While Rosalie was appreciative of the generosity of her parents, who would give their only daughter anything her heart desired in the blink of an eye, they were also restrictive as well as the definition of overprotective, strictly commanding Rosalie be chauffeured everywhere, no matter how short the distance. She would have found this laughable if it weren't so annoying. While she was most certainly not the most athletically active child, she wasn't a china doll either. Still, even though neither of her parents mentioned him, she knew Jacob was the reason. They didn't want the same thing happening to her, which was only logical. But still suffocating.

Another thing about her parents: they were barely around, forever traversing the globe for conference meetings with foreign distributors. Even today, they had just left for Seattle on business and would be away for the next three days. Honestly, hadn't they ever heard of Skyping?

But it wasn't loneliness that bugged Rosalie; over the years, she had learned to develop a sense of parental independence, so much so that their absence had become an aspect of her daily life. No, what she hated most was how much they had _missed. _Rosalie kept a secret list in her nightstand drawer, writing in it from seven, with her nervous, quivering hand to 13 with her elegant cursive, writing both what they missed and why:

_ 1__st_ _Ballet recital – Bulgaria_

_1st Christmas concert – France_

_1__st__ bicycle ride – Los Angeles_

_1__st__ violin concert – Canada_

_1__st__ Regional Soccer championship – Washington D.C._

_1__st__ choir solo – Saudi Arabia_

_1__st__ Regional Science Fair – Miami_

_1__st__ National Scholastic Bowl – China_

_1__st__ State swimming tournament – Indonesia_

Every time they missed one of these first experiences, they would shower her with gifts and promise to come to the next one, which they always fulfilled. But that wasn't good enough for Rosalie. Those first memories were irreplaceable, valuable pieces of her life sorely missed by her parents. Once they were gone, you could never take them back. No amount of gifts could nullify the sinking feeling of looking around at the audience after a great achievement and not seeing the two people who mattered the most. Over the past few months, whenever she wrote down yet another event in her list, instead of naming a location, she would simply write, "_didn't care._"

It hurt. Her own parents didn't want to take the time to know their own daughter because it would be all the more painful if she died. They were afraid she would betray them by leaving, so they did the same thing to her. Didn't they know how she had already died a thousand deaths from their negligence? Did they even know why they loved her?

Rosalie was scared to know the answer.

_Enough, _she thought decidedly, slamming her book shut with unnecessary force. _I shouldn't be thinking about such things. _

"I know what will cheer me up!" Rosalie exclaimed to herself, wanting to take her mind off such troubling thoughts, something she found quite easy to do. "I'll go on the WordGirl wikia!"

Flipping open her laptop, she pressed the power button, tapping her fingers impatiently as her MacBook Pro started up. While it was a nearly microscopic fanbase, the other users on the wikia were hilariously random, sure to bring a small smile to her face on those seldom days when not even a book could do the trick. She knew the show was far too juvenile for a 13-year-old girl who had known many of the featured words by the time she was eight, but its witty humor and insipid characters always made her laugh.

Annoyed, Rosalie pushed up her pink silk headband adorned with a single rose, which was always slipping of her glossy, wavy auburn hair. She opened the Internet browser and then proceeded to her Top Sites where the URL to the wikia was listed. When she clicked on the link, she was brought to the Recent Activity page. Scrolling through the comments, she saw that two users, Riley and TheLivingMe, were apparently having some-interdimensional trouble:

_Although the whole sandwich thing was pretty cool, and—*I quickly shove Chuck off of computer* :/ ...I see what you mean about villains taking over comments—_

_...Ahem. Greetings, and welcome to the Dr. Two Brains Is The Best Villain Ever forum! With your host, me, Dr. Two Brains. Today— *I wake up and push Two Brains off the office chair thingy*_

_Ah, that's better... Note To Self: Keep all dimensional transporters away from supervillains. They may (and probably will) use them to get to your own dimension, considering that's what it's already set to... :)_

Rosalie laughed at their playful banter, her gloomy thoughts dissipating into nothingness. They had often made jokes about WordGirl characters interfering with their commenting, and never once had it gotten to the point where it was reality.

But today was when that would change.

Fishing out her iPod, Rosalie put it on autoplay and started playing "Enchanted" by Taylor Swift, cranking it up to full volume so as to fill the vast, lonely halls music to give the illusion of company.

_There I was again tonight_

_Forcing laughter, faking smiles_

_Same old, tired, lonely place_

_Walls of insincerity_

_Shifting eyes and vacancy_

_Vanished when I saw your face_

_And it was…_

_Enchanting to meet you_

"Honestly, most people find my presence much less than enchanting," stated a voice behind her.

Startled and nearly jumping out of her skin, Rosalie let out a small yelp and whipped around to behold the bearer of the voice.

Her mind went horribly numb, and her lips seemed to be crafted from ice as trembling, they traced the words of fear and impossibility, for this woman couldn't possibly be here. She didn't exist. And yet Rosalie would recognize her anywhere.

"M-Miss Power?"

"Well, well, you're a bright one, aren't you?" the alien dictator mocked, fully decked out in her glistening white 'superhero' costume with a tawdry sky blue cape. Her pale blond hair cascaded down the left side of her face, hiding the horrible green disfiguration and unsightly yellow cat's eye. To many, this woman would not impose fear at first glance, but upon further inspection, one would notice other, less apparent aspects, like the subtle, malicious curl of her glossy lips or the swaggering manner in which she walked which clearly stated she could crush you and do ghastly things to make you scream on end for days if she so desired. But most intimidating her brilliantly blue eyes, glinting with the gleam of murder.

Rosalie toppled over her chair in fright, backing away slowly as Miss Power approached with the same tempo, like a predator going in for the kill.

Not taking her eyes off the alien, Rosalie nervously punched into the security pad the code she had learned since she was five.

"Security!" she shouted into the speaker, addressing the two bodyguards her parents had stationed whenever they were away on business.

But there was no reply.

"Don't worry, I've already put those two pathetic humans… out of order, as you might say," Miss Power said slyly. "You might want to consider buying a new rug; I heard blood stains are almost impossible to get rid of."

"How are you even here?" asked Rosalie. "You're not real. This is a dream."

"And yet I'm here," she sneered.

It was then that the adrenaline really began to kick in. Every sound was magnified by 100, making Rosalie's furious breathing a deafening roar in her ears. Blood and panic thrummed through her veins in equal measure, for she had no idea what to do. Look for a weapon? All she had was her iPod in her hand, which would hardly do her any good. At school, she had been through a million fire, tornado, and earthquake drills, but what did one do when faced with a cartoon alien anarchist?

She just acted on instinct.

She ran.

* * *

Of course, with Miss Power's lightning speed, she hadn't expected to get far in the first place. Nevertheless, it was a gut-wrenching blow to her heart when she felt Miss Power violently shove her to the floor, her battered body sliding across the freshly polished, hardwood, living room floors, her head slamming with unprecedented force against the bottom stair. Her iPod skidded across the hall and into the dining room. Despite being attacked by a super-powered alien, she thought, _Mom will kill me if my iPod broke. _Groaning, Rosalie weakly turned her head to find herself face-to-face with Miss Power.

"If you know who I am, you also know what I'm capable of," she hissed menacingly. "Now, are you willing to cooperate or not?"

Terrified, Rosalie nodded her head, valuing survival over pride at this point.

Miss Power sneered. "Good girl. Now, tell me this: where is WordGirl?"

"I-I don't know!" she cried. "I've never seen her in person before; I've only seen her in a TV show!"

"A TV show?" Miss Power repeated mockingly. "My oh my, and I thought those useless books might've meant you had brains in your head. Your just as bad a liar as those idiotic dolts in Fair City."

"No, it's true!" Rosalie insisted. "If you don't believe me, look over there!" She pointed to the jumbled stack of DVDs by the flatscreen TV, with The Rise of Miss Power DVD sitting on top of the pile.

Recognizing her own face, Miss Power scooped it up, scrutinizing the front cover. "A television movie? Bah! That's preposterous!"

Rosalie watched in terror as Miss Power ranted on and on to herself about the obscenity of being portrayed as nothing as fantasy. The 13-year-old's eyes darted around the living room frantically, wondering what to do next while she was distracted. She knew fighting or running would be futile, for she was nothing more than a mouse being toyed with by a cat. And what did mice do when cornered?

They hid.

* * *

"Come out, you coward, you wretched brat!" screamed Miss Power, who had been searching high and low for Rosalie for the past ten minutes. Despite her perilous circumstance, Rosalie couldn't help but smile to herself as she sat in her favorite childhood hiding place, thankful she was a master at hide-and-seek as a child.

This particular hiding spot was discovered when she was nine. The girl had ventured into the spacious coat closet, looking for a place to hide, when she discovered a concealed set of stairs behind the racks, which, upon further inspection, led to the attic. There, she used to spend her time pretending she was Lucy uncovering the magic wardrobe in the Chronicles of Narnia, and she had never once been discovered by her parents.

Now, she was hiding for fear of her life. Her hands were cupped around her mouth in desperation to muffle the faint yet audible sound of her breathing. Her palms her slick with sweat, mingling her tears as they dripped steadily onto the floor. How was this possible? TV characters didn't just come to life! This must be a dream; yes, that was the answer. After all, didn't dreams always feel real, just because you didn't know any better? But those bruises were really starting to hurt, even though you never felt pain in dreams. Also, Rosalie's dreams were usually a disjointed blur, whereas every moment of this particular nightmare had been etched into her memory with permanent marker and planted into her mind like a disease, gnawing away at what was real and what was a figment of her imagination. It was a hopeless paradox.

And one Rosalie needed to unravel soon.

As the minutes slowly and torturously dragged on and Miss Power's threats became more and more vulgar, Rosalie wondered with an unspoken horror how long she would be trapped in here. This thought had just left her mind when she heard Miss Power gliding to her hiding place, the closet.

Rosalie's blood froze in her veins as fear tensed her nerves until they were as taunt as the strings on her violin. She wanted to scream, instead opting for shoving a fist into her mouth and biting hard until she could taste the iron and salt and sulfur of her blood.

This was when a dues ex machina came to Rosalie's salvation.

Rosalie's iPod, which was set to autoplay, changed the song, blaring a deafening rock song from the dining room. Miss Power perked up and, not knowing the inner workings of Earth technology, assumed that it must have been Rosalie herself who had changed the music. Eagerly, the alien sped to the source of the song, and Rosalie could heard with a pang the crashing of her mother's finest china as she looked high and low for the human girl.

Not daring to let out a sigh of relieve, Rosalie thought, _It'll take her about ten minutes to realize I'm not there. _Clambering down from the attic as quickly as she dared, the 13-year-old decided it was time to get help. She dashed to her bedroom, feeling as if she were stepping on sharp knives as she evaded the minefield of creaking spots on the staircase. Once in her room, Rosalie thought about her next course of action.

Barricading herself in her room would be pointless in keeping out someone who could lift two-ton cars with one finger.

She had her cell phone, but calling the police would be useless. If the TV show was true, humans were no match for Miss Power, and besides, if she was heard talking, the alien would superspeed to her before she could utter a single word.

Then, she glanced at her laptop, and the insane idea came to her.

_The wikia._

If Miss Power had somehow wriggled her way into this dimension, surely it would stand to reason that the other characters could have found their way to other wiki users. And since, judging by Miss Power's screams of rage increasing in pitch, Rosalie was running out of options.

Rosalie began typing frantically, grateful the shattering of china was masking the faint sound of the clicking keys.

_Umm, guys, _she began, trying to convey as much of her emotion and panic into the message as possible. _I h-have… a problem. I don't know how, but Miss Power is at my house! Please, someone help me!_

"You can't hide forever, you brat!" Miss Power screamed from downstairs. "Come out now and tell me where WordGirl is or else! You don't want to see what I'll do to you! I know you're up there, cowering in your room!"

Rosalie's heart caught in her mouth at these words as she heard the alien dictator slowly ascend the stairs, knowing her drawn-out arrival was just to tease her. Once at the top, Miss Power used her laser vision to meticulously melt away at the door to Rosalie's room.

_OH GOD, SHE HAS HER LASER VISI– _Rosalie cut off her typing mid-word, knowing it was too late. In just a few seconds, the door would give way and she would be doomed. Frantically, her eyes darted around the room, looking for a means of escape. The only two options she saw were the door where a murdering alien resided and a window which led to a three-story plummet onto hard asphalt, meaning certain death.

_Door, window, door, window, door, window, _Rosalie thought to herself, knowing she only had a second at most to make her decision.

_Door, window, door, window, door, window…_

She chose window.

* * *

**Remember how I promised humor? Yeah, that's coming in the second chapter. Trust me, I can't tell a decent joke to save my life.**

**Have a happy Thanksgiving tomorrow! You can read Chapter 2 – if you're not being run over by rabid shoppers – on Black Friday.**

**Love to all,**

**Bella**


	3. Through the Painting

**Hi everyone! Happy Black Friday! I just got this wonderful piece of news: my YT channel has been selected for the Winx Club Official Fan Club on YouTube! I'm screaming and crying now; it's just that big an honor.**

**For this chapter, I'd like to make the character's wiki names clear:**

**Rosalie – WinxMagiaDiWordGirl (WMDWG)  
Jenny – TheLivingMe (TLM)**

* * *

**3 Hours Earlier**

"Yes! It's perfect!" cried Jenny ecstatically, nearly rolling off her bed in excitement, beaming at her sketchpad in triumphant bliss, not even noticing her prized colored pencils scattering onto her floor. After all, how could she pay attention to such trivial matters when her greatest sketch staring her directly in the face? It was… oh, what would WordGirl call it? A masterpiece; that was it!

It was a beautifully flawless sketch of WordGirl, Jenny's favorite cartoon character in all the world. Fumbling for a thumbtack on her desk, or, as she liked to call it, her 'imagination center command,' Jenifer Swan pinned her latest drawing smack in the heart of her tack board, which was already littered with oodles upon oodles of drawings. Leaning back in satisfaction, the aspiring artist contently gazed in admiration at her latest creation.

It was a drawing of WordGirl in a swirling portal. The superheroine herself had her mouth open wide, in surprise or agony, Jenny couldn't tell. Still, her eyes were calm in the appearance of peace. Jenny had made the lines blurry, which gave the affect of the Lexiconian fading from one world to another. The dizzying blue portal, in stark contrast, was drawn with clear, defined lines, and it seemed to grab the superhero and drag her down, further and further until time and space didn't exist. This piece was far different from Jenny's usual gushy romance depictions, but she liked it all the same.

Jenny sighed. She just wished her parents felt the same way.

Jenny's parents were renown scientists, proud owners of several PhD's in chemistry, biology, and several other branches. They had written a multitude of books and spoke at dozens of conventions; in fact, they would be gone for the next few days to speak at a science convention in Cincinnati. They always looked at the world logically, not taking the time to appreciate the subtle beauty in life. They believed in casting away the so-called frivolities of art, while Jenny embraced it. Jenny loved the fine arts: she played four instruments, took pottery classes, sang, wrote poetry, and of course, drew in her spare time. While her parents didn't exactly discourage these practices, they were at a loss to understand why anyone would choose an art easel and paint brush over a thousand-page book.

Jenny pitied them for that. Art was a subtle, hidden magic, found in sunsets and rainbows, and yet its home resided in the depths of the imagination. Looking back at her drawing, she wondered how anyone could _not _love art. Art allowed you to breath life and beauty and imagination into something dull and lifeless, all with a few pencil strokes. She had made WordGirl look absolutely stunning, a beautiful goddess. She could see it plainly, etched in the perfectly balanced shadows, the delicate drops of light on her eyelashes, and in the swirling mahogany hues in her eyes, which seemed to bleed with grace and wisdom and love.

But wait! What was that dark blob in the background? Surely, she hadn't drawn such a disfiguration! But there it was, multiplying, the lines growing more distinct until she could make out every feature. Jenny scuttled backward in astonishment, her blue-green eyes widening in shock and fear as the shadows began to move, actually move!

With a blinding flash of light, Jenny saw… no, this was impossible!

And yet her eyes were all the proof she needed.

The characters of WordGirl had come to life.

* * *

"Ugh, stop it!" Jenny cried, running around the house, trying to stop her favorite television characters from wreaking havoc upon her house. It had been three hours since their miraculous appearance into this dimension, and now Jenny was utterly exhausted. At first, it had been absolutely epic: she had posted the news on the WordGirl wikia (not that anyone would believe her), taken millions of pictures, and even received each character's autograph!

Now, however, she simply couldn't take it anymore. Honestly, she knew they were in a whole new dimension, but would it be so hard for them to pull it together? All afternoon, the Fair City villains had been running around like maniacs, fascinated with all the detail in this three-dimensional world and behaving with the manners of a 3-year-old.

"Cocoa, come back here!" Jenny cried as her cat streaked across the room in terror of Tobey's colossal automatons. "Tobey! Didn't we make an agreement that your robots would stay _outside _my house?!"

"Hey, guys!" shouted a certain cheesy villain. "Come take a look at this!"

"Oh great," Jenny muttered under her breath. Tobey would have to wait, for she knew this would be the birth of a disaster. They had found out about the Internet.

Clearing his throat, Two-Brains, who was currently on FaceTime, declared, "Greetings, and welcome to the Dr. Two Brains Is The Best Villain Ever Show! This is your beloved host, Dr. Two Brains. Today—"

"Ugh!" screamed Jenny in exasperation, shoving the evil scientist off of her office chair. "You do realize it's not even recording, right?"

"Um… no?"

"Will someone at least explain to me how you even got here in the first place?"

"We came through Dr. Two-Brains' inter-dimensional portal, which is sitting right over there, in plain sight," said WordGirl, pointing to the peculiar device taking up a good half of Jenny's room.

"Oh," replied Jenny, embarrassed.

"Everyone!" shouted Tobey from the next room over. "Come and see this!" He was bouncing up and down frantically and spouting gibberish as he pointed to Jenny's computer.

"Is that," began WordGirl in astonishment. "The WordGirl wikia?"

"Yes, but never mind that," said Tobey impatiently. "Do you realize how unflattering that picture of me is? My face is much handsomer than this piece of garbage!"

"Theodore Tobey McCallister the Third, you really are a conceited idiot, aren't you?" demanded WordGirl sassily.

Tobey gasped, shimmering beads of tears beginning to form in his eyes. "Y-you really… think that a-about me?"

The Lexiconian mentally kicked herself. "No! No, Tobey, I don't think that at all! It's just that… i-it's hard, you know? Miss Power changed me so much…" She then trailed off, collapsing into tears. _No, _she scolded herself. _Superheroes don't cry. We're trapped in a foreign dimension, so quit blubbering like a baby and do something about it! _

But that didn't stop the tears.

Tobey timidly went to her side and awkwardly patted her on the shoulder. When she didn't push him away, the boy genius, who was more than willing to take advantage of WordGirl's current state of weakness, pulled her into a reassuring hug.

Amazingly, WordGirl didn't mind the physical contact, although she would hate herself because of it later. She cried on her enemy's shoulder, letting those weeks of bitterness and resentment wash away in the salty tide. After a while, she gently shrugged him away and hid her face behind her glossy black hair, not wanting him to see her blush.

"Aww! That was sweet!" exclaimed Jenny, squealing with Tobecky delight.

"It w-wasn't like t-that," stammered WordGirl, lost for words for the first time in her life.

"Yes, it was! See, you're even blushing!" The fangirl, intoxicated by the romance blooming right under her nose, ran to grab her sketching pad.

"Looks like Lover Boy finally made it to first base!" teased Chuck.

"Ooh, how sweet!" declared Eileen in her typical baby speech. "Can I pwetty pwease be your flower girl when you get married?"

"Um hey people, isn't the wikia how we came here in the first place?" asked Two-Brains, trying to do WordGirl the subtle favor of changing the topic.

"Yes, that's right," she replied, gratitude written across her relieved smile as she ventured to the opposite end of the room, far away from a particular boy genius. "Wait a minute! What's that comment?"

"Huh? What's going on?" asked Jenny.

"Look at this comment on the wikia!" said WordGirl in alarm. _"Umm, guys, I have... I have a... problem. Miss Power is at my house! HELLLPPPP! *gulps and glances uneasily at Miss Power* OH GOD SHE HAS HER LASER VISI–––_

_You see that, wikia users? WinxMagiaDiWordGirl is done, finished, defeated. Miss Power rules!"_

"Oh God," breathed WordGirl. "Miss Power attacked that poor girl!"

Jenny snorted. "Haha! That's ridiculous! She probably just saw my comment, thought it was a joke, and decided to add on to it as a laugh. Trust me, we do it all the time."

"But what if it's not a joke?" asked Ms. Question. "How can we know for sure?"

"Well, Miss Power did enter the portal, too," stated Mr. Big. "But obviously, she's not here."

"And if we connected, joined, and coupled with the WordGirl wikia when we teleported here," added Lady Redundant Woman. "Then wouldn't it stand to reason that Miss Power could have gone to another computer connected to the wikia?"

"That's… actually a pretty plausible idea," said Jenny matter-of-factly. "Good job, LRW! So I guess WDMWG is being attacked by Miss Power." Then, her cheerful, upbeat mood turned to one of panic as she registered what that meant. "OMG, WDMWG IS BEING ATTACKED BY MISS POWER! AHHHHHHH! WHAT ARE GOING TO DO?"

WordGirl facepalmed.

"We could always use the teleporting-thingy to get there," suggested the Butcher. "Because, you know, that's kind of what teleporting-thingies do. You know, teleport things."

WordGirl facepalmed again.

"Here, I've already fixed and modified the _inter-dimensional portal_," declared Two-Brains proudly, putting an extra emphasis on the last two words as he glared at the Butcher. "It's set to teleport to WinxMagiaDiWordGirl's IP address, that is, her computer. Also, now I altered it to a ray-gun for no reason whatsoever other than the fact it looks cool."

"Woah, how did you do that so quickly?" asked Jenny.

"Through the magic of poorly thought-out plot lines, now hurry up, you have to go!" Two-Brains exclaimed quickly, thrusting the device into Jenny's hands.

"Me? But I don't even have superpowers! Why aren't any of you coming?"

The villains and even WordGirl cast their gazes around uneasily, not wanting to look into Jenny's eyes and unmask the cowardice reflected in their own. When she realized no one was going to help, Jenny started to cry, disappointed that her favorite cartoon characters were letting her march to what would surely be the gallows by herself. She knew they weren't real, but did that mean their bravery was a lie as well? Of course, they were scared stiff of Miss Power, but she was too! Jenny had watched the movie; she knew what Miss Power was capable of. And yet she was choosing to do this, even when she was afraid.

Jenny gasped.

That's what a hero did.

But that wasn't right. She was a normal girl, not a hero.

Maybe it was time for that to change.

* * *

Finally, when no one spoke up, Two-Brains nervously stepped forward, shaking with fear and barely able to stand.

"I-I volunteer!" he gasped, pushing away from the crowd to Jenny's side. "I volunteer as tribute!" shouted more defiantly with a determined stance except for his trembling knees. Still, there was a certain fire in his eyes, a burning desire to do something good for once in his life, to help wash away the stain of regret everyday of his life when he lay awake in bed at night in silent horror at what he had done, simply because he was no longer in control of his own destiny.

"Really?" Jenny scoffed. "Bella, quit making Hunger Games references!"

**What can I say? I'm a fan! Go Team Peeta!**

"That book was never meant to center around romance, you know that, right?" asked Leslie. "That was just a sub-plot. Its underlying message was to outline the horrors of a post-apocalyptic America with a dystopian society, controlled by a corrupt democracy, which in turn leads to a totalitarian dictatorial society with Panem and President Snow, and finally escalates to a communist regime in District 13 under the rule of President Coin."

"That's absolutely right, and it scares me that you know that, Leslie, but it doesn't matter!" shouted Jenny. "This is a WordGirl fanfiction!"

"Can we get back to the point when I volunteer to sacrifice my life to save your friend?" asked Two-Brains, disgruntled.

"Oops, sorry," said a very abashed Jenny.

"Here, kid," the scientist tossed the 13-year-old a sophisticated-look ray gun, built with gleaming silver and dozens of multi-colored buttons and knobs.

To Jenny, it looked like something that could kill.

And maybe that would be so bad.

Two-Brains gulped. "WordGirl? Are you sure you're not coming? I mean, you are a hero and everything."

"I think I need to stay here and keep an eye on these 50-some criminals. Besides, I'm sure Bella is planning some dramatic entrance for me anyway."

Jenny and Two-Brains shrugged. Arming himself with one of his signature cheese-themed ray guns and the inter-dimensional one, Two-Brains fired the latter at Jenny's computer, forming a swirling blue portal.

"Just one more thing," Jenny said before the portal dragged her into oblivion. "About this ray gun, what does it do?"

"It shoots pretty-colored lights."

"Oh," Jenny remarked, mulling over his statement. "Is that any good in a fight?"

"Um… not really, no."

Jenny sighed in frustration. "Great…"

* * *

Rosalie's world became a kaleidoscope of fragmented glass, reflecting an intricate web of rainbows, but not even a net of beauty such as this could keep her aloft as she hurtled the her death. Flailing her arms wildly, Rosalie blindly to find some purchase upon which she could cling to, and yet her eyes were shut to protect herself from the piercing glass. The wind screamed in her ears, louder and louder, until screams were issuing from her mouth as well. Her heart choked her throat, making every gasp for air a desperate struggle. The glass sliced through her skin like paper, sending rivulets of blood spiraling to the ground where they sizzled in the July sun. Rosalie gulped when she saw the blood, stark and glistening on her driveway, thinking of how she would look just like that in mere seconds.

_Don't panic, _she thought to herself. _Remember, no one falling of a skyscraper dies from impact; rather, the cause of their demise is the fear of eminent death. But God, that driveway is coming up fast…_

Rosalie's mind went blank as the pavement came closer and closer. _I'm going to die, I'm going to die, I'm going to die! Mom, Dad, I'm so sorry!_

_No! _she told herself sternly. _No matter what,_ _Rosalie Annabelle Winters doesn't die today! You've read a million books with situations like this, so quit screaming and save yourself!_

Rosalie tried to control her shaking limbs enough to prepare for impact, but her arms and legs simply wouldn't obey.

_It's no use, I'm going to die, I'm going to die, I'M GOING TO DIE! _She thought to herself, losing hold of any rationality as she fell faster and faster, her heart trying to tear itself from her chest as its host drew closer and closer to destruction.

Then, when Rosalie was mere centimeters from the pavement, she felt a violent tug of her glossy auburn hair, which sent her reeling upwards, back through the window. This miracle was her salvation from death yet also sent her straight to the worst death of all.

"Well, that was a lovely ride, wasn't it?" mocked Miss Power, her nails digging into the roots of Rosalie's hair until she gained livid crimson highlights, although not at all in the traditional manner. Grabbing a fistful of rope, the alien tied her to the bedpost, the coarse fibers of the rope dulling her blood circulation and burning her skin. But Rosalie refused to cry out, not wanting to give Miss Power that satisfaction. "Now that you've been properly scared, are you going to be a good girl and tell me where WordGirl is?"

"I've already told you, I don't know where she is!"

"But surely you know how to find her?"

"If I knew how you came here, then I might."

"That idiotic villain with a ghastly mouse brain disfiguring his head created a portal to traverse dimensions as a means to dispose of me, but undoubtedly, I got the upper hand, trapping not only myself but every feeble-minded Fair City 'villain' and that insufferable Goody-Two Shoes WordGirl in this dimension. We came through something called the WordGirl wikia."

"Y-you mean that?" asked Rosalie, jerking her head to her laptop.

Yanking the laptop from Rosalie's desk with her greedy fingers, Miss Power's eyes narrowed as she saw Rosalie's distress message, which was never sent.

"Ha! Pathetic! Allow me to add a brief message as well. '_You see that, wiki users? WinxMagiaDiWordGirl is done, finished, defeated. Miss Power rules!'_" With a nasty smile at Rosalie, she hit the Post button.

"Now, whatever am I going to do with you?" the alien dictator mused, scraping her nails against Rosalie's rose-patterned desk, laughing when the girl winced at the sound. "It's obvious you have no information for me. Keeping you hostage would prove to be useless, and letting you go would only be a severe detriment. In short, you are worthless, absolutely worthless, to me. So tell me, Rosalie Winters, since you seem to know a remarkable bit about me for our first encounter, what do I do with people I deem worthless?"

Rosalie gulped, remembering the fateful scene from the movie, which had come to life with frightening horror. The words slipped from her trembling lips even before Miss Power's eyes were bathed in the crimson of Rosalie's soon to be spilt blood.

Rosalie gulped. "You kill them," she whispered fearfully.

* * *

**After all the characters I killed in Radiance, wouldn't it be pretty ironic if I killed myself off?**

**Honestly, I don't know when the next update for this story will be. I have to work on my science fair board and speech, and of course, school has to come before this. Then, I'm going to be submitting a story to MusicNeverStops474's Christmas Story Contest. Hopefully, I'll be able to update by next Friday.**

**Love to all,**

**Bella**


	4. Inconvenient Placements

**I know I haven't updated this story in a really long time, but I had tons of trouble deciding how this chapter was going to play out, and how to bridge this to Chapter 4. So finally, after more than a week of waiting, I present to you Chapter 3!**

* * *

Jenny's world became a dizzying globe of blue as she hurtled downward, time and space whirling frantically around her. She had never had much appreciation for rollercoasters, and this was a thousand times worse. Clinging to her useless ray gun like a lifeline, Jenny closed her eyes and retreated into the calm, peaceful recessives of her mind, forming an impenetrable barrier between her imagination and reality.

Finally, the downward spiral leveled out, sending Jenny and Doctor Two-Brains crashing into the inconveniently placed rosebushes.

"Ugh!' exclaimed Jenny, plucking the obtrusive thorns from her arms. "This girl could've planted any flowers in her backyard, and she chose roses!?"

"Well, roses _are _a typical garden shrubbery," replied Two-Brains sagely. "Now, do you plan on leaving your friend to her demise or actually saving her?"

"I know, I'm getting there," the 13-year-old replied impatiently. Her eyes scaled the three-story mansion, looking for a place of entry. Alighting upon a window on the first floor, Jenny grabbed a conveniently placed crowbar and prepared to smash it into the windowpane.

"Um, you do realize the front door is wide open, right?" mocked the scientist, holding open the door in question for her.

The crowbar clattering onto the patio, Jenny followed his lead, blushing miserably. She could never be a hero. WMDWG was doomed.

* * *

Rosalie gritted her teeth in pain after yet another painful backlash by Miss Power, her nails forming a decent gash down her left arm. She could feel the pain burning, but it was overpowered by something much more powerful: fear.

"Tell me where WordGirl is!" Miss Power screamed, her voice shattering every windowpane in Rosalie's house.

"I don't know, I don't know, but if you came to my house using the wikia, then she–"

Rosalie trailed off as her veins ran with hope, the only thing stronger than fear.

"I told you not to use Hunger Games references!" shouted Jenny to the top left hand corner. "But anyway, stop right there, Miss Power! We won't let you get away with torturing an innocent wiki user!" At that, she struck a heroic pose and motioned to Two-Brains. "That's your cue!" she whispered out of the corner of her mouth.

Two-Brains exasperatedly fumbled through a stack of note cards. "Sorry, but I had to borrow these from the mayor!" Clearing his throat, he read aloud, "We are the agents of love and justice! Pretty Soldier– wait, who the hell wrote this?"

Jenny facepalmed. "I did, of course! Don't you know that all heroes need a catchphrase?"

"Yes, a catchphrase, not a catch speech! I mean, this thing is over ten pages long!"

"Ha, these are the pathetic heroes come to save the day?" scoffed Miss Power. "You really think a half-rate scientist and a silly little 14-year-old girl can stop me?"

"You underestimate me!" shouted Jenny dramatically, brandishing her ray gun in wild slashing movements, sending kaleidoscopes of brilliant light cascading throughout the room. "Take this! And this!"

Miss Power stood in the center of the room, dumbstruck, completely unaffected by Jenny's attacks. "Are you mocking me? You can't possibly hope to overpower me, because you're not a daring heroine like in your dreams. You're just an average teenage, perfectly normal, never making a profound difference in the lives of others. You put on an act, but inside, you're just a scared little girl painting comforting lies about the world so you don't have to wake up and see the real thing. You'll never, _never _be a hero."

"T-that's not true!" Jenny's voice stuttered, but the tears sparkling at the corners of her eyes nullified any authority it may have held. The ray gun slipped from her trembling hand, clattering into a useless heap, just like it's owner. Just an average, useless thing, only capable of making something pretty, not changing the world. Jenny's parents could change the world with their science, Two-Brains could change the world, even if it was in a negative aspect, with his numerous inventions, and heck, maybe Rosalie could with her money. Everyone else had special talents and gifts, but what did Jenny have? Sure, she knew her way around a paintbrush, but who would remember her for that? In a hundred years, the name Jenifer Swan would mean nothing to anyone. She didn't want to be a nameless, faceless background character in the painting of life; rather, she wanted to be the main character, to make a difference in her life and the lives of others. If only she could paint herself that reality, then maybe she could be a hero.

But maybe some things just weren't meant to be.

"Pitiful, just pitiful," teased Miss Power. In a speeding whirlwind, the alien tied Jenny back-to-back with Rosalie.

"Who are you?" whispered Rosalie in astonishment.

"My name's Jenny, but you probably know me as TheLivingMe."

"F-from the wikia?"

"Yup, it's a pleasure to meet you, WMDWG. I'd shake your hand, but I'm a bit tied up at the moment."

"It's Rosalie, but why did you come?" she panicked. "Now you're tied up too with some very inconveniently-placed rope which was never in my room in the first place!" In a more casual tone, she asked, "What do you think of my house?"

"It's very nice, save for the alien dictator trashing it."

"Oh yeah. Well, let's just scream like the helpless citizens we are until someone else from the wikia answers my plea for help and saves us," Rosalie said in a nonchalant manner.

"Good plan. Wait, how are you posting this on the wikia?"

"Um," Rosalie began sheepishly. "Plothole?"

"Oh, ok." Taking in a lungful of air, Jenny let a terrified, inhuman scream tear from her throat. "HELLLLLLLLPPPPPPPPP!"

Maybe Jenny couldn't be a hero, but she did a bang-up job at being a citizen in distress. Jenny prayed that was all they needed to survive.

"Go ahead, give me your best shot!" taunted Miss Power, blurring around the room as Two-Brains tried to aim the inter-dimensional ray gun at her. Her insane laughter bounced off the walls, resonating until Jenny felt as if her eardrums were about to explode.

"You're done, Miss Power!" Two-Brains declared, even though at the moment, nothing could be further from the truth.

"Ha! As if! You're nothing but a half-rate villain who isn't even on the top ten list."

"That's not true!" shouted the two fangirls defiantly.

"Aw, thanks kids!" replied the scientist, touched by their devotion.

Taking advantage of his momentary distraction, Miss Power pried the ray gun from his hand, hurling the weapon like a discus out the shattered window. Miss Power grabbed the doctor by his shirt collar, her eyes glazing over with crimson, an eerie echo of the horrific events of The Rise of Miss Power, only this time around there wasn't WordGirl to swoop in and save the day at the last moment. Now, it was all up to the wiki users.

Zooming the laptop, Miss Power typed onto the wikia, "Greetings, wikia users! Along with WinxMagiaDiWordGirl, TheLivingMe is defeated! Finished! You are all under MY rule now! *evil laugh*"

"While she's distracted, help me out here," Rosalie hissed vehemently, hardly daring to breathe, though Two-Brains' terrified screams masked their conversation from Miss Power's perceptive ears. "Move your wrists up and down against that metal bedpost." The two teenagers vigorously went to work, rejoicing when the rope binding their wrists began to fray from the friction. Once the post sliced through the fibers and her arms were free, Rosalie went to the task of untying her ankles and Jenny's.

"Here's the plan: when I give the signal, I'll ram myself into her and hopefully create enough momentum to push her into the bookcase. Then, you grab the… weapon from under my pillowcase. Everyone in my family keeps one for security reasons ever since our house was robbed by vandals a year ago. You'll know what to do with it. You got all that?"

Jenny nodded fearfully, trembling with anxiety about what she was being asked to do. "Aren't you scared though?"

"I can't think about things like that now," Rosalie replied sternly, the shy, cautious, book-loving girl from a few minutes ago replaced by a fierce determination to not succumb to the failure of death. Rosalie knew there were no do-overs, no extra lives. You either lived or you died. "Do you want to be a hero or not, Jenny?"

Jenny knew from the bone-chilling choking noises that there was no time to waste, no time to back out. This was her defining moment. She felt the adrenaline sing through her veins, infusing her with strength. Before, this would signal the need to run, but not anymore. Today was the day she fought.

"Yes."

At once, Rosalie tumbled into action. Pushing off from the wall, she launched her entire body at Miss Power. Red-hot pain spread from the point of impact, screaming in agony as her nerves failed to cushion the sensation of slamming into solid granite. Lights danced in her eyes as she screamed, and yet when she felt the rock hard alien she had thrown herself against give way, she knew she had done her job. Crouching into an awkward somersault, Rosalie tumbled away from Miss Power, who even with her lightning-quick reflexives was too surprised to act before crashing into Rosalie's glass bookcase, containing her most expensive novels.

Jenny knew this was her cue. Casting a brief, concerned glance at Rosalie, who was clutching her left elbow in obvious pain, she dived for the indicated pillowcase, tearing apart the fabric in her haste and desperation. She felt her right hand make contact with a steel surface and, without even looking to see what it was, grasped it and pointed it at Miss Power, a fire burning in the young girl's eyes.

Everyone in the room gasped.

Jenny was pointing the barrel of a gun directly at Miss Power's heart.

* * *

WordGirl hovered back and forth in a form of pacing, trying to hide her worry from the anxious villains. It had been six hours since their departure, and still no news. This is what WordGirl hated, the waiting. If they were dead, she just wanted the universe to say right out that they were dead instead of tormenting her with uncertainty. Because as long as there was no final verdict on the success of the mission, a spark of hope kindled in her heart, yearning for a happy ending. She didn't want to feel that hope for a very good reason:

Hope was all the more painful when killed.

"Shouldn't they have been back by now?" asked Miss Question.

"They'll be back soon; I know it," replied WordGirl in a façade of calm.

"Aren't you going to save them?"

"Why aren't you helping them?"

"Are you afraid?"

"Don't you know you're the only person who can help them?"

"SHUT UP!" shouted WordGirl angrily. "I know, okay? I know I should be helping them, but I'm scared. Is it so wrong to be afraid? Miss Power almost killed me, and even now, when she's been defeated, she's controlling my emotions. She's so much stronger than me, and this time, she's not going to be caught off guard by me or any of us. We need some backup, something she'll never expect in a million years."

"And what would that be?"

WordGirl glanced at the wikia on Jenny's monitor. _Jenny. _She and Two-Brains were in so much danger because of her. If only she had had the guts to fight in the first place, they might not be… no! She couldn't think about that! There had to be a way, right? Didn't good people always win? But that was only in fairytales, a comforting figment of the imagination.

This was the real world.

And maybe only something from this world could save it.

"I think I have an idea," began WordGirl slowly, the gears turning in her mind as she gazed in thought at the wiki. Tobey, how good are you at hacking IP addresses?"

* * *

**And as always, I somehow bring a gun into the story. *sigh* I have no idea why; in my mind, it's good for drama and showdowns.**

**I really love giving Ms. Question dialogue for some reason, so expect more of her in later chapters.**

**I'm not even going to try to have any rhyme or reason to my updates, so Chapter 4 comes on Monday. **

**Love to all,**

**Bella**


	5. Silenced with a Shot

**Yes, shame on me for not updating when I promised. I may have mentioned this earlier, but my inspiration ebbs and flows, and the tide only began to pick up in the last two days. I know, it's a weak excuse, but it's all I have.**

* * *

Katrina Sullivan, who usually went by the nickname Kerry, flipped through what seemed to be the thousandth page in her mathematics textbook with an almost feverish frenzy, knowing there was no time to waste. Even though her teachers had insisted several times that no studying could be done, Kerry had been tutoring herself all week, cramming for her high school entrance exam on Saturday. While she had no doubt she would make it into the high school of her choice, Lakeside College Preparatory, one of the most prestigious schools in the state of Virginia, she wanted to absolutely stun them. And in order to do that, her algebra skills had to have a serious increase to surpass the pitiful 95 percentile on last year's standardized test, which had been nowhere near on par with the 99 percentiles scored on all her other subjects. While Kerry had no doubt that she would make it into the high school of her choice, she wanted to pass the test with flying colors, to show her future teachers who would be their star student, for that was the only way to make it anywhere in life. You had to have drive, determination, and most of all, the willingness to take the initiative to go above and beyond the requirements. If Kerry wanted a bright future, she knew today was the time to start.

To many peers her age, this outlook on life may seem strenuous and depressing, but to Kerry, it was reality. No one became the head of a global corporation by playing video games or gossiping about the latest boy band. And Kerry dreamt big, simply because she knew what she was capable of. She could be successful in life as long as she was motivated and kept being dedicated to her education. She couldn't stand it if she were a failure.

Besides, learning was always interesting to her, whether it was perusing her textbooks, skipping ahead ten chapters in her lessons, or completing a couple crosswords in her father's newspaper. Work was play for her, and she was always challenging herself to think outside the box and thoroughly analyze problems to determine the best solution or course of action, both in her studies as well as in daily social aspects. Kerry always weighed the general mood of a situation and thought carefully about her remarks before saying them aloud; as a result, she was on generally good terms with everyone in class. Still, that didn't buy her acceptance, but that was fine with her. After all, it was much too difficult to keep pace with the ever-changing gossip circulating through gatherings she hadn't attended and text messages she hadn't read. Generally, Kerry preferred to keep to herself.

Still, that didn't mean Kerry never had fun, although her forms of entertainment were far from conventional. Besides reading, Kerry had developed a passionate fetish for My Little Pony, a show meant for 5-year-olds but still absolutely awesome. Posters of Twilight Sparkle, Rarity, Pink Pie, and all the other ponies of Equestria littered her bedroom walls, clashing horribly with the dozens of certificates, awards, and medals tacked on as well. The show was a creative outlet for her to unleash her imagination. Despite her overwhelming logic, Kerry could still see the magic leaking in the crevices of this dark and dreary world, the songs woven in the stars, and the love shining in people, illuminating them from within. Her friend often teased her about having 'magic contacts,' which was ironic since she had to be the most magical person Kerry knew.

Resting her strained eyes from the textbook, Kerry let her gaze wander to the picturesque sunset shining across the beach horizon of Venus Cove, Georgia, the resplendent light burning away any sorrows of the day to present a clean slate tomorrow. Kerry threw open the window's latch, letting the familiar scent of the salty sea waft into her room and mingle with the comforting smell of strawberry shampoo lingering in her pixie-cut, chestnut brown hair. The muggy Georgia air warmed her, dressed in a jean skirt and a royal blue T-shirt monogramed with a white letter K. As she let her elbows rest on the white-washed windowsill, the light seemed to be sucked from the heavens and shattered into millions of points of light. A brilliant golden streak, a shooting star hurtled across the vast expanse of space. Closing her eyes, Kerry made a wish, desiring nothing more than to preserve her serenity and let it reside inside her heart for all her days. When her eyes flickered open, she saw that the shooting star was growing larger, streaking closer and closer until Kerry could make out the dim silhouette of a person, a child. The child began to slow until the golden radiance around her faded, leaving a red-clad girl hovering outside the window, a girl Kerry would know anywhere.

"No way," breathed Kerry. "This is a dream."

"It's not," whispered WordGirl kindly. "If you are who I believe you to be, then I am who you believe me to be.

Normally, a person would be in denial or stunned shock at seeing a TV character come to life, but because of her best friend, Kerry had seen incredible, impossible, inexplicable things, so this wasn't so far off the mark.

"You're WordGirl," Kerry stated assuredly.

"And you're Katrina Sullivan, also known as KerrytheBrony, resident of 457 Bryon Road in Venus Cove, Georgia, am I correct?"

"Yes."

"Then Tobey's not quite as dim-witted as I originally perceived him."

"And let me guess," began Kerry. "You came to me because you need help taking down Miss Power, who followed you and the rest of the Fair City villains into an inter-dimensional portal and is now holding Dr. Two-Brains, Rosalie Winters, and Jenifer Swan captive, right?"

Despite the absurdity of Kerry's position, WordGirl's mind was the one reeling in disbelief. "How did you know that?" the Lexiconian demanded.

Kerry shrugged. "The Narrator let me glance at the script. I have to admit, my role is pretty interesting. Still, if we're going to take on a super powerful alien dictator, we're going to need more help than this."

"And who did you have in mind?"

"We're going to need my friend Syrena."

* * *

Syrena Amoretto pedaled her shiny red bike through the town of Savannah, Georgia, the wind tangling her pixie-cut, glossy black hair into undistinguishable knots and snarls. All around her, there was the irritating chatter of insipid touring Girl Scouts, which had been encroaching upon the town ever since June, here to celebrate the 100th anniversary of their founding or something like that.

Twilight was slowly settling, the last rays of sunlight peering through the snarled threads of Spanish moss, clinging to every available branch. Glancing at the nearest square, Syrena watched with a silent amusement as one of the idiotic girls started grabbing fistfuls of the beard-like tendrils, unaware of the vicious rashes, which would break out on her perfectly manicured hands the next day.

Syrena loved Savannah, so rich and full of history, yet charmingly quaint and peaceful, a lot like her. It was one of those towns where one expected a horse-drawn carriage to trot down the cobblestoned-streets or prim and proper ladies to descend the stairs of the local church, all decked out in their finest Victorian finery. While the world spun around in dizzying, ever technologically advancing circles, it was a place frozen in the past, which ironically, was the one place Syrena hated to visit.

Syrena was originally intending to head home after stopping at the ice cream parlor, but something, a separate, insistent will taking over, steered her path instead in the direction of the one place she hated visiting more than anywhere: the bridge.

Leaning her bike against the concrete ledge, Syrena leaned against the bridge's railings, wanting to leave but not mustering up the will to move. Not permitting herself to think, Syrena fully immersed herself in silent, thoughtless meditation, completely losing herself in the steady current gliding under her feet. She knew she should leave this place before she unearthed feelings she had worked so hard to suppress, but maybe it was time to acknowledge what she had hidden from herself for so long, to preserve her emotions as a final testament to all the pain she had endured here, two years ago, when everything changed.

Gripping the ice-cold steel railing, Syrena let silent tears drip from her eyes, one blue and one gold, the drops mingling with the water where a body found its final resting place.

There had been so much debate and controversy over the matter at school that Syrena had never precisely been able to determine what had happened on that fateful night. Still, everyone's variation had been united by common elements, and it was from these facts that Syrena formed the basis on how the tragic death of Xavier Lightwood had occurred.

It had been two years ago, when Syrena was twelve years old. The sixth grade had been throwing a wild after-homecoming party, and apparently all the guys had decided to engage in a little post-party gathering on the bridge. Xavier, who had been an outsider from the rest of the reckless, inappropriate guys, had tried to politely decline, but was eventually roped into attending through a combination of name-calling and peer pressure. As the night wore on, they became rowdier: music was blaring, someone had smuggled in a 'spike' to the soda, and worse of all, some of the guys started a diving competition to see who was the best swimmer.

It was here that the story varied, for no one had felt justified in nagged those in attendance the exact sequence of events. The students had come up with the story that Xavier had jumped off willingly, stumbled, or had been pushed by one of the jocks who had no knowledge of his inability to swim, but one way or another, Xavier had found himself in the water and never reemerged. Some of those on the water-polo team had jumped in after him in an attempt of rescue, but by that point in the evening, it was so dark that not even the trees lining the back could be made out, much less a drowning twelve-year-old. The others had called 911 for an ambulance, but to no avail. Not even the search-and-find team could locate his body, dragged away by the rapid current, but that didn't matter. Everyone knew he was dead; you could feel it, a dead weight suffocating the students, a looming feeling of pain and terror, which must have been from Xavier's last moments.

From there, Hamilton Elementary fell into a state of chaos. School had been cancelled for a week. The police called in all the boys who were at the bridge for questioning, although none were charged or penalized in any way. Grief counselors had been called as the students tried to cope with the death of an odd, outcast new kid that none had ever really bothered to know.

Eventually, though, a state of normalcy had returned, and everything had returned to normal. Well, except for Syrena. She had never really been able to get over Xavier's death, the grief clinging to her mind like a parasite, wrapping around her heart and slowly strangling it. Some days, the sadness barely crossed her mind, and she could learn to love the feeling. Other times, it was suffocating, clawing at her chest, with classmates giving her strange looks as she dashed to the bathroom in tears. And sometimes, like today, Syrena was hopelessly lost, searching desperately for answers, wondering why such a tragedy had plagued her for two years. The mourning had never faded, the grief never relinquishing its grip, probably for the most shallow, embarrassing reason imaginable.

Romance.

It had been nothing, really. She and Xavier had hardly ever had a conversation outside of being paired up once as science partners for a lab. But maybe it wasn't words that mattered. Maybe it was actions, and more importantly, feelings that made all the difference. Maybe one night, one moment, had been enough to turn her world upside down for better or for worse. Like so many times beforehand, Syrena found her thoughts to that night, or really, that dance….

* * *

_"Okay, everyone!" shouted the school's Cotillion teacher, Mrs. Gordon, in excitement as she crossed the gymnasium, which had been transformed into a ballroom with tacky paper links, confetti, and a sickening amount of glitter, making Syrena wonder if it had been decorated by the kindergarteners. "Mixer starting at… this end!"_

_Sighing, Syrena stood up with the other girls, smoothing out the hem of her silky sunshine yellow dress, trying with no avail to tug it below her knees. She vowed this would be the last time she let Kerry, her best friend from her old town of Venus Cove, choose her dresses. Glancing at the front of the line, she could see couples chosen at random linking their arms together and moving on the floor and by their friends, where the sniggered at the embarrassing pairings of other unfortunate classmates, never paying much attention to their actual partners._

_Before she realized it, Syrena found her arm linked between that of another classmate. Raising her eyes, she saw to her pleasure that the arm belonged to Xavier Woods, looking stunning in a neat, crisp tux. Her satisfaction was not directly due to Xavier, but rather that she had narrowly avoided being paired with Juan, the most disrespectful, inappropriate boy in the grade._

_The couple made their way to the far corner of the room, neither of them speaking, apart from the initial friendly greetings. Syrena was not perturbed by this; she knew Xavier was a shy boy, and frankly, so was she. For some reason, she found her eyes frantically roaming his face as if in a last-ditch desperation to memorize his face, the bronze hair shimmering in the pallid light of the room, the endearing freckles adorning his flushed cheeks, and the glistening aqua-blue eyes pulling hers into their depths._

_Everyone was then ordered to take their dance positions, and Xaiver's hand reached up to meet hers, their fingers threading together naturally, effortlessly. Xavier smiled shyly, as if both in apology as well as reassurance._

_"Let me tell you, I'm not that good at dancing," he admitted sheepishly._

_Syrena was taken aback; normally, the guys she danced with would be bolstering up their egos to impress her. "No, that's fine!" she replied, much more brightly than usual, her smile like a 100-watt lightbulb. "In fact, your posture is really good compared to some of the oafs I've been forced to dance with."_

_At that, Xavier cracked a small laugh, so beautiful and care-free that Syrena lost herself in the memory of the sound until the music started up. Syrena, who was an exceptionally accomplished dancer, guided Xavier around the gym, constantly aware of the curious eyes watching them._

_They danced in total silence, save for counting the beats in their minds, until Xavier finally spoke up. "What are you thinking of, Syrena?"_

_Syrena's graceful steps momentarily stumbled at the sound of Xavier saying her name, the syllables dripping like honey if such a thing were possible. If it were anyone else, she would sarcastically reply that she had been counting the steps in her head to so as to keep Xavier from tripping over himself, but she out of pity for his miserable social status, she held her tongue. What she had really be think about was the euphoria of fantasizing as a princess at a ball, but of course, she wouldn't be caught dead saying that._

_"I was thinking about how drop-dead gorgeous Maggie looks in her dress," Syrena lied, hating how frivolous and shallow the words were._

_"You're dress is nice, too," Xavier said, abashed, admiring the multitude of roses adorning the upper half of her gown, although whether the flowers or their actual location held his attention, Syrena couldn't say._

_As they danced, Syrena desperately wanted to know more about Xavier. Not those little, insignificant things, like favorite colors or movie preferences. No, Syrena wanted to discover his hopes and desires, his faults and failures, his secret dreams. She wanted to ask about his life and memorize it so as to place herself into his every memory and every moment to come. She wanted to peer into his soul and learn it from the inside out, a frighteningly intimate desire for someone who could only be described as an acquaintance._

_She was just about to open her mouth to speak when she found their arms suddenly jerked away and raised in triumph by Mrs. Gordon. Looking around in confusion, Syrena saw all the other couples seated, eliminated from the competition._

_"Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce our winners, Xavier Woods and Syrena Amoretto!"_

_"Thanks for the victory, Syrena," Xavier whispered covertly. Syrena just nodded dazedly, with her lips still pursed in preparation for speech._

_But apparently, that wasn't in the cards. Before she had time to blink, she found herself dragged away from Xavier by her exuberant, chattering friend, Molly. Syrena turned her head to see Xavier one last time before his death, all her questions left burning and unspoken on her lips._

* * *

Of course, she had never told any of her friends about her feelings on the matter, knowing they would turn it into a tragic tale of romance, which was the very last thing she wanted. She would think someone whose last name meant 'love,' she would have more of an inclination towards it, but in reality, the concept of romance was as foreign and distant as the stars, just the way she liked it. And even if she did love him, she knew exactly what would happen if she declared her affection and shared the greatest secret of her heart: Xavier would run away in fear, repulsed by the monstrosity she was. Syrena knew she could list a million reasons why romance in her mind was an ultimate evil, but one look at her parents, who would scream and argue every night, never kissing in ten years, could sum it up into three words.

Love was overrated.

Syrena knew it had been a horrible idea to try to dissect her feelings about Xavier, if that pathetic pity party could even be called dissection. Collecting her final thoughts, Syrena grabbed her bike and headed for home. As she rode through the layers of twilight's iridescent violet and navy blue, she found herself quietly singing "Because of You" by Kelly Clarkson with far too much emotion than she thought her voice could contain.

Because of you

I never stray too far from the sidewalk

Because of you

I learn to play on the safe side so I don't get hurt

Because of you

I find it hard to trust not only me but everyone around me

Because of you…

I am afraid

Her melodic voice just reached the lilting, haunting crescendo when out of her peripheral vision, she spotted the last person she would ever expect to see in Savannah. It was her best friend, Kerry, along with some other girl. Miraculously, the two had still been able to maintain their now long-distance friendship through the godsends of FaceTime and texting, but seeing her in the flesh caused a dull ache in her chest, a longing for the days of freedom in Venus Cove when her heart was light and her eyes glittered with innocence.

Syrena pushed down the kickstand and went to Kerry. "Kerry? What are you doing here?"

"There's… not much…. time…. to explain," panted Kerry. "What matters is that WordGirl needs—"

"Wait, WordGirl?" interrupted Syrena, referring to the girl's favorite cartoon character of all time.

"Um, hello?" said WordGirl sassily. "The same face, hair, outfit; can't you piece it together? I've been here this entire time, like five inches from your face."

Syrena blinked rapidly, trying to process the fact that a cartoon character… no, she couldn't say it in her mind, it just sounded too stupid. Still, compared to her own life, she could hardly be one to talk.

"Okay, bypassing the glaring absurdity of this situation," began Syrena, "What's going on?"

"Honestly, I thought people would be more excited to meet me," WordGirl muttered sulkily. "I haven't even been asked for an autograph yet!"

"Oh, how careless of me to neglect the oh-so-high-and-mighty WordGirl's egoistic wishes," replied Syrena sarcastically. "May I be so bold as to humbly ask you for an autograph? You can just write it on your face; I'll slap it off anyway."

"I'll have you know, you bratty daughter of a—"

"The reason why WordGirl and I came to you," interrupted Kerry hastily before the argument could escalate any further. "Is because Miss Power is back and attacking the other wiki users."

Syrena gasped, knowing what Miss Power was capable of. "TheLivingMe and WinxMagiaDiWordGirl?"

Kerry nodded sadly. "And Two-Brains, too."

"No!" Syrena cried, going full fangirl mode, remembering the sight of Miss Power's cold, merciless eyes ready to drill lasers of fire into the evil scientist's frantic pink eyes. "What can we do?"

"Well, thanks to Tobey's hacking, WordGirl knows where they are, but she doesn't want to go in this time around without backup. So, I was thinking you could use your gift to help us."

"You know how much I hate using it, right?"

"For our favorite villain?"

"Oh, all right. We'll have to do it someplace discreetly." Leading them back to the abandoned bridge, Syrena glanced around nervously, wary of distant passerby.

"For goodness sake, Syrena, we can pretend you're going to a costume party if you want!" exclaimed Kerry exasperatedly. "Just hurry up, please!"

Nodding, Syrena let her eyes flicker shut. She imagined, as she always did, a shimmering gold and blue orb swirling in the core of her body. She felt its heat being absorbed into every pore of her skin. Then, like water streaming down a car window, the orb liquidated into millions of rivulets, winding their way through veins and nerves until each aligned into their designated place, humming with wary expectation as to what would occur next.

This was the part Syrena dreaded. From the crevices of blue and gold, the rose a crimson red, the searing color of pain. It burned through her body, singing with electricity, until it felt as if her body was engulfed with eternal flames. The blaze kept growing until it melded into the shimmering gold and blue strands, which neutralized the pain, leaving only the fire's wondrous strength.

Then, the sensation of sharp needles driving out of her body commenced. Knowing what to do, Syrena focused all her willpower on having the stabbing focus solely on her hands and the lower region of her back. The stinging intensified, reaching a crescendo so unbearable that Syrena was finally able to open her eyes again.

Judging by WordGirl's flabbergasted expression, Kerry hadn't foretold her of what would happen. Her horrified gaze flickered from the elongated, feral claws to the bushy, silver-gray tail protruding from her back.

Syrena was a werewolf.

"You only wanted a partial transformation, right?" Syrena asked Kerry in a nonchalant manner, as if discussing which ice cream flavor she would prefer.

"Yes, I think two legs would prove to be more useful than four," replied Kerry in the same tone. Elbowing WordGirl, who was still in a stunned daze, in the arm, Kerry hissed, "Now, shouldn't we be going somewhere?"

"Of course," replied WordGirl, prying her eyes away from Syrena's bushy tail. Addressing the lycan, she asked, "Are you truly ready for this?"

Syrena nodded without a second's hesitation, determination burning in her eyes. "Let's go save the world."

* * *

"Come on, just shoot already!" cried Rosalie desperately.

"Aw, look, the little girl has a weapon but is too weak to use it," mocked Miss Power, but a silver of her normal conviction was perceptibly absent, eyeing the gun warily. Of course, there would never be a gun in a children's show, so no one knew the extent of the effects on Miss Power, and no one except Rosalie was anxious to find out.

Jenny's hand was trembling, her eyes wavering with fear as she tried to no avail to point the gun at Miss Power's chest where a vile, soulless heart resided. All the while, Miss Power was watching with a slightly amused expression, curious as to what would happen next. She knew what Miss Power was capable of, and yet her benevolent nature couldn't bring herself to fire.

"Oh, I've had enough of this!" cried Rosalie vehemently. "Jenny, if you can't shoot it, give me the gun. Now!"

"Wait, think about what this means first–" began Jenny, but her words were silenced as Roaslie grappled the weapon away from Jenny's grip. Shoving the girl to the side, Rosalie raised the weapon, pointing with expert precision at Miss Power's head, moving in closer so as the ensure her accuracy.

Just then, WordGirl, Kerry, and Syrena burst through the doorway, stunned speechless by the dire scene presented before them.

Kerry was the first to analyze what this situation meant. "Don't do it, Rosalie!"

But it was too late. With an ear-splitting crack, Rosalie fired.

* * *

**Well... that was dramatic. :D If I finally update on time, see what happens Thursday!**

**Love to all,**

**Bella**


	6. Promises and Regrets

**Yay, I'm on time! This one's pretty long, so enjoy yourselves!**

**By the way, I forgot to mention last chapter that Syrena is LexiconWolfGirl from the wiki.**

* * *

The gleaming silver bullet was harmlessly deflected off Miss Power's chest, sending it whizzing back at Rosalie. With a terrified scream, she ducked her head just in time to feel the bullet glide harmlessly above her head and shatter the only remaining unbroken windowpane.

"Well, well, well, I never thought I'd seen an Earthling develop such a kindred spirit for violence at such a young age," remarked Miss Power in an interested tone. "You, my dear, could become a valuable asset to my cause. However, I doubt the same proves true for your friend." In the fraction of time it took for the fangirls to blink, Miss Power was viciously clutching the collar of Dr. Two-Brains shirt, the scene an eerie déjà vu of the jaw dropping, terrifying scene of the Rise of Miss Power movie.

"Hello, rat face," she spat vehemently. "I believe I didn't quite get to finish the job upon our first encounter, but it appears Lady Luck has offered me a second chance."

"Not while we're here!" shouted Syrena bravely, with she, Kerry, and WordGirl striking battle poses.

"And just who do we have here?" Miss Power mocked. "A pathetic weakling, a half-breed mutant freak, and a girl who runs away, humiliated and defeated, in battle."

"Well, you're not one to talk, seeing as you're all three," replied Rosalie smarmily. "At least we fight fair and don't resort to childish insults to belittle people's pride in themselves."

"Oh, and you think fighting five versus one is fair?"

"Well, you can take me on all by yourself, because you have no chance of stopping me!" cried Kerry, in an inexplicable moment of reckless bravery. "My name is Kerry, also known as KerrytheBrony, and I am here to save my fellow wiki members!"

"Oh yeah? How?"

"With the power of fr — ugh! — MUST NOT MAKE MY LITTLE PONY JOKES ON A WORDGIRL FANFICTION!"

"Er… what?" Jenny asked Rosalie, wearing a perfectly confused expression.

"Hey, don't look at me, this fanfic was a collaboration. I had absolutely no say in this part. It's not my fault she almost made an out-of-fandom reference."

"Oh yeah, says the girl who makes Hunger Games gags in every single chapter," replied Jenny sarcastically.

"I do not! Ugh, you're just as bad as Effie is whenever she gets off schedule… darn!"

"Um, guys?" said Kerry uncertainly. "Mind if you direct the spotlight back on me? After all, I am the one who's trying to save your lives."

"Sorry!" shouted a distant voice from the upper right hand corner. "It's Ricky's first day on the job!" With a rusty creak, a beam of gentle white light wavered and then focused upon Kerry's disgruntled mien.

"Does everything have to be taken so literally around here?" she cried.

"Does everything have to be quoted around here?" chorused the fangirls in reply.

"Could we please get the focus back on the epic battle scene about to take place?" asked WordGirl.

"Could Ms. Question please stop hitting us with question marks?" said the narrator.

"SILENCE!" In fury, Miss Power shot a pair of searing lasers at the chattering group, who shrieked as the attack burned a charred circle of ashes just centimeters from their feet. All were deadly silent.

"That's better," the alien muttered disdainfully.

"That's it!" declared Kerry courageously, jumping heroically in front of the fangirls. "If I can't defeat you with the power of friendship, then I'll do it with the power of my tae kwon do!"

"Oh great," said the narrator. "This'll be interesting…"

And depending upon the varying degrees of horror, it was interesting for the most part. With her ice breath, Miss Power created an impenetrable dome and area for the duel, decked with the personal touch of grotesque, humanoid ice sculptures portrayed in various degrees of agony, torture, and death. While Kerry was quite skilled at the marshal arts, it was apparent from the sickening crack of bones that Miss Power clearly had the upper hand. Everyone knew she could simply do away with Kerry in one blow, but like a cat toying with a mouse, she preferred to play with her food before eating it. Soon, the world became consumed in screaming, with Kerry crying out brokenly as she continued launching her body at the alien as a blind, desperate hope to shield the others while WordGirl kept screaming uncontrollably in frustration as she incessantly threw her body mercilessly at the ice dome in a futile attempt to shatter it. The ultimate sound of pain and loss continued in a soul-piercing mantra until Kerry simply surrendered to the horrendous gashes her body had endured, slumping to the ground in near unconsciousness, and WordGirl collapsed in a sobbing, panicked heap, blue and purple bruises blossoming upon her arms like flowers, flowers like those that would be placed upon Kerry's tombstone unless someone didn't act soon.

"Syrena!" cried out Kerry as her head was once again rammed into the wall at the mercy of Miss Power. "Plan 999!"

Syrena nodded with a fierce determination. "Rosalie, I know this sounds crazy, but it's very important. You wouldn't happen to have a hot glue gun somewhere in the house, would you?"

"What? No, of course not!"

"Wait, but you're the author! Surely, you could–"

"Correction," Rosalie brusquely interrupted. "I am one of the four authors, which means I have just as much author power as you. And still, there are rules to follow! I can't just make things appear out of thin air just because I want them to! I have to insert these objects in the plot, subtly hint at them—"

"Hey, look!" called Jenny animatedly. "There's a hot glue gun right on the sidetable! How convenient!"

"Or you can just grind the fourth wall into dust," muttered Rosalie, disgruntled, but Syrena paid no attention to her. She had already leaped into action, burning a flaming hole into the ice. Vaulting herself through the inferno, she defiantly placed herself in between Kerry and Miss Power, who was just beginning to activate her deadly laser vision.

Wielding the glue gun like a sword, Syrena propelled a thick stream of glue into Miss Power's eyes, blinding her as the chemicals from the glue slowly began to disintegrate her eyes.

"Ha!" exclaimed Syrena. "Now she can't use her laser vision!"

Just as those fateful words passed Syrena's lips, a blinding crimson light flooded the room, dimming to reveal Miss Power glaring spitefully at the girls, blood streaking down her face to add a horrific ferocity to her already terrifying appearance. If looks could kill, the entire world would be strangled by Death's chilled embrance.

"Or…" said Syrena slowly, backing away nervously. "Maybe she can."

Miss Power stalked toward Syrena with a feral, predatory grace, her rage unlocking her most innate, murderous instincts. With a violent convulsion, Syrena's body responded to the dire situation and changed into a full-clad wolf. No one dared to breathe as the watched with a fearful rapture as the two completely surrendered themselves to their most primal instincts. Muscles rippled and tensed under granite skin and glistening silver strands of fur as Miss Power cried out with an inhuman scream, leaping for Syrena, ready to snap her neck in two.

Just as Miss Power's hands began to tear at the silver fur, a deafening crack resonated. Taking her eyes off Syrena, Miss Power swiveled her head around to see Rosalie repeatedly firing her gun straight into the air in a last-ditch attempt to distract Miss Power from her prey.

Then, launching into action directly on cue, Jenny dived for her discarded ray gun Dr. Two-Brains had given her. Pressing a random series of buttons, Jenny shone a dazzling kaleidoscope of light beams into Miss Power's eyes. Blinded, the alien stumbled backward, completely defenseless.

"Now, WordGirl!" cried Jenny.

WordGirl didn't hesitate. "You're done, Miss Power. This time, it's your turn to run." Speeding into a golden streak of light, the Lexiconian grabbed a fistful of Miss Power's blonde hair and hurled her at the speed of sound into the glittering galaxies of twilight, thus creating the perfect happy ending.

But even as the four wiki girls cheered ecstatically, even as the villains suddenly, cheerfully, comically tumbled into the room by literally breaking down the fourth wall, even as everyone celebrated Miss Power's humiliating defeat, WordGirl could not celebrate. For she was the only one who had heard Miss Power's parting words, a threat of a secret even WordGirl herself didn't know she had, but one that could potentially ruin her entire life: "You haven't heard the last of me, Princess Alexandria Theia."

* * *

"Any word on how the inter-dimensional ray is going along?" asked WordGirl nervously, anxious to return to her proper realm, a place where she would be forever safe from Miss Power's grasp.

"I'm afraid it was severely damaged during the battle," replied Two-Brains, still shaken from his terrifying ordeal. "While it is fixable, it will take me several hours to repair." Adopting an formal, polite tone, he continued, saying, "Miss Winters, if is of no burden or displeasure to you, would you please grant us permission to stay in your house for the evening?"

"W-well, I suppose s-so," replied Rosalie in a flustered tone before she realized what she was saying, too pleased with being addressed in such a gentlemanly manner.

"Yay!" shouted Jenny. "This means a slumber party!"

"At my house?" asked Rosalie, her brain finally processing the events. "Wait a minute—"

But it was too late. With a loud cry of "Pillow fight!" from Jenny, Rosalie's demolished bedroom became a warzone of feathery attacks and people stumbling into giggling heaps.

"How about a pillow?" asked Ms. Question. Not waiting for a response, she walloped a fluffy pink plush pillow directly into Mr. Big's face.

"Hey!" cried the evil business tycoon indignantly. "That wasn't nice! Leslie, get her!"

"Throwing pillows at people is the point of a pillow fight, Sir," replied his faithful secretary, breaking free from her usual monotone to a teasing laugh.

"Oh, whatever," he muttered, not wanting to openly reveal his inexperience in the pillow-fighting department, which he had found to be his most boring college elective, nowhere near on par with his 'polly waddle doodle rates' seminar.

"Woohoo!" exclaimed the narrator elatedly. "Poof, poof, poof!"

At that, everyone in the room stopped and stared dumbfounded at the disembodied voice's latest antics.

"What?!" he said defensively. "At least YOU aren't just a voice, and YOU can have fun throwing pillows! Me? All I can do is say 'poof'!"

But no one paid any attention to the narrator's complaint as Dr. Two-Brains pulled out a ray gun, which shot tiny pillows.

"Bwhahaha! Say cheese!"

"Ooh, cheddar!" said Jenny.

"Provolone!" shouted Chuck before getting smacked in the arm by Eileen's pillow and crashing to the floor where Timmy Timbo was taking his sixth nap of the day.

"Um… Switchs!" shouted the Butcher.

WordGirl facepalmed. "The word is Swiss, which means it comes from Switzerland."

"Hey, I'm from Switzerland!" declared Syrena randomly from the other side of the room as she engaged Victoria Best in an epic duel of pillows.

"Okay, thanks WordGirl!" said the Butcher merrily just as he was slammed in the back and sent crashing into the next room by none other than the Whammer.

"Wham!" said the Whammer, waving six pillows haphazardly as those in the vicinity ducked for cover. "This whammer fight is totally whamming!"

Rosalie, who had been forced into the corner of her room, using a pillow as her only defense from attack, began to force her way through the congested crowd of at least sixty people crammed into her room. She dashed for the door in desperation just as Lady Redundant Woman created an army of replicas, all armed with pillows. Rosalie slipped away unseen from the party, noticed by only one person.

* * *

Rosalie loved the quaint little gazebo tucked away on the edge of her family's estate, especially at twilight. The clusters of white lilies and peonies surrounding it emitted a subtle glow. The moon quivered in its resting place at the depths of a shallow pond while the fading sun set the world on fire. At times like these, Rosalie could feel peaceful strands of pure energy connecting her to this place, drawing her back like an obsession. It was the one place where she would never take a book, never slip into another world; rather, it was simply a place where she could rediscover this world, her world, and learn to love it again.

Rosalie lay on a bed of grass, moist from a recent summer rain, letting her head tilt upward to face the smiling face of the moon. In stories, the moon was a mysterious object, the center of wild myths and legends come true… no! Rosalie hated how her books would always drag her under, into them, even long after she read the last page. They would cling to her mind like parasites, distorting what was fantasy and what was reality. Couldn't she just wipe away the film of words and see the world through her eyes?

Kicking off her slippers, Rosalie let her toes skim the surface of the pond, occasionally having to break free from the weeds that chained her ankles. She would only permit herself to focus on the water, on the sights and sounds around her, not the confusing events that had transpired that day. The water rippled, and at first Rosalie thought it was raining, until she realized she was silently crying, but for what reason she did not know.

Rosalie knew she was there even before she placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. Slowly, she turned her face to meet WordGirl's. She didn't speak, silently walking across the lawn with the Lexiconian falling into perfect step, waiting for the latter to speak.

"Why aren't you at the party?" asked WordGirl. It wasn't reprimanding, simply curious.

"I'm not comfortable around all the noise and commotion," Rosalie replied. "I wanted to be alone to think."

WordGirl nodded in understanding. "It's a bit disturbing, how they can so quickly lose themselves in such frivolities after everything that happened. I don't think they quite believe it was real."

"To be honest, I'm having trouble believing it myself. I would think it was only a dream, except I never consider that possibility when I really do dream. It's pretty ironic: in dreams, I blindly trust in what surrounds me, no matter the degree of absurdity, while I spend all my time in reality wondering if anything I see is real. I sometimes wonder if we're all asleep, and our dreams are the only time we truly wake up."

"Well, look at me. I spent twelve years thinking my dimension was real, only to come here and discover it's nothing but a TV show. Maybe you're onto something."

The two walked in silence, guided farther and farther away from the warm glow of Rosalie's home. Rosalie couldn't help noticing how WordGirl kept glancing at her out of the corner of her eye, staring in confusion as if Rosalie was a puzzle she was struggling to solve.

Breaking the silence, Rosalie asked, "Is Kerry going to be alright?"

"Oh, of course. It may have looked horrible, but Miss Power didn't hurt her quite that badly. She'll be out of shape for a few days, but Two-Brains is helping her. I'm sure she'll be fine."

"But Miss Power still hurt her!" cried Rosalie, angered by WordGirl's flippant, indifferent tone. "Unlike you, she's human, and she probably would've died! Why did you even have to drag Jenny, Kerry, and Syrena into this mess anyway? Why couldn't you just take on Miss Power on your own?"

WordGirl's steps faltered, her eyes widening with surprise, but something greater as well.

For a moment, it looked as if WordGirl was afraid.

"B-because…" The superheroine struggled for the right words for the first time in her life, unable to come up with an answer.

Slowly, the truth dawned on Rosalie. "I get now," she said with just a bit of hurt. "You're only brave enough to take on Miss Power, or any of the villains, when you're in a TV show, when you know none of them can hurt you, when you know there will always be a happy ending, when you know you're going to win. Now that you're in the real world, you know you can lose, and it terrifies you. It terrifies you so much that you're willing to sacrifice, defenseless, innocent lives if it ensures your safety, your victory." Rosalie backed away, suddenly repulsed. "I can't believe it," she spat. "Fair City's greatest superhero, my greatest superhero, is nothing but a coward."

WordGirl stood there, momentarily petrified, before uprooting herself from her frozen state and approaching Rosalie, trembling with anger. Green eyes met brown, and Rosalie's mind momentarily reeled from all the vulnerability swirling in their depths. WordGirl's glared at her vehemently, and despite her terrorizing encounter with Miss Power, the Lexiconian was the scariest thing she had seen all day.

Rosalie didn't even have time to process what was happening before red-hot pain flashed on her right cheek, sending her entire body plummeting to the ground. Shocked, Rosalie spat out a mouthful of grass and turned to see WordGirl, trembling with unbridled rage, her hands balled into fists. Her eyes were just as alarmed as Rosalie's, and she looked down at her hands with horror.

Brushing off the dirt from her dress, Rosalie quietly proceeded back to her home, not wanting to give WordGirl the satisfaction of seeing her cry, not wanting to give her the opportunity to apologize. It would be meaningless anyway. She was too far gone. She was nothing but a lie.

Just as Rosalie reached the door, she turned back to see WordGirl's forlorn and abandoned silhouette, a dark disfiguration against the stark contrast of the moon's radiance. They were dozens of yards away, but Rosalie knew she could hear her as she whispered her promise to the galaxy.

"I swear to God, I'll make you regret that for the rest of your life. Even if it costs me mine."

* * *

Gigglecheeks frantically pulled aside the multitude of boulders trapping his mistress from when she painfully crashed into a peak of the Rocky Mountains. Finally, after hours of struggling labor, a blue-gloved hand emerged from the rubble, pulling the rest of its body to freedom.

Looking around at her surroundings, Miss Power was enraged to find that that pesky little girl had hurled her across state borders, all the way into northern Montana.

Gigglecheeks chattered concernedly, pointing to her many scrapes and bruises, but Miss Power brushed him off.

"Let's go, Gigglecheeks," she commanded fiercely. "I've waited far too long for this. It's time for another family reunion with my sweet little sister, my little Alexandria."

* * *

**Well, it looks like Miss Power affected WordGirl more than she realized. What did Rosalie mean by that last line?**

**Yes, Miss Power and WordGirl are going to be related again. First, she was her mother, then her cousin, and now her sister. Yup, that'll earn a lot of points for originality.**

**As for the next update, Christmas break has started, which means lots of baking and parties. Then, I also heard my mom talk about a trip to the Philippines. So, assuming the world doesn't end tomorrow, the next chapter will probably have to come some time in the new year. Merry Christmas/Kwanzaa/whatever the heck you celebrate and Happy New Year!**

**Love to all,**

**Bella**


	7. An Unfinished Story

**Okay, so basically, this chapter is a transitional one, or really, a bunch of random scenes that were not supposed to take nearly as long but somehow go way out of control. Enjoy!**

* * *

Golden sunlight streamed through the window, brushing her face and gently kissing Rosalie awake. When her eyes fluttered open, she saw that her previously demolished room was now back to its previous perfection, with every shattered window shinning like new, every crack and crevice in the walls gone, every stray feather tidied up, and every speck of dust banished, a dazzling sparkle left in its place. There was no evidence of yesterday's destructive battle whatsoever, just a normal Tuesday morning rising over the horizon.

"Wow, that was some dream," Rosalie said to herself before swinging her legs off the side of her bed so she could hop down. The moment her feet made contact with the floor, she scrambled backward, letting out a shrill yelp.

Rosalie had just stepped on Ms. Question's face.

"Why don't you watch where you're going?" asked Ms. Question indignantly. Looking around, Rosalie saw at least fifty villains camped out on her floor in various degrees of grumpiness as they were rudely awaked by Rosalie's scream.

"I-I'm sorry," she stuttered. Noticing the disgruntled glares she was receiving from some of the nastier villains, she added, "Well, I'll just be going downstairs now… bye!" Then, she made a hasty break for the door, taking special care not to so much as nudge any other villain as she tiptoed across the floor.

Rosalie raced down the stairs, her nose guided by the peculiar smells emanating from the kitchen. Oh God, if the Whammer was cooking breakfast…

Fortunately, it turned out to be only Tobey and WordGirl cooking eggs and toast. Rosalie was just about to enter and announce her presence when three pairs of hands grabbed her nightgown and forcefully dragged her into the hall.

"Hey! What's going—" she asked before a hand was clamped down on her mouth.

"Shh!" hissed Syrena. "You're going to ruin it!"

Yanking Syrena's hand away, Rosalie asked, "What? What am I going to ruin?"

"Honestly, are you blind?" teased Jenny in a hushed whisper. "Look!" Following Jenny's finger, Rosalie simply found herself looking at WordGirl and Tobey, both gratefully with their backs turned, completely oblivious to the fangirls.

"What? It's just Tobey and WordGirl."

"Exactly!" said Kerry. "But they're _alone_. And they're _talking_. And they're _arguing like a married couple._"

It was early, and Rosalie still felt like she was missing something, but all she could think it could be was breakfast. "So…"

Kerry facepalmed. "Do we have to spell it out for you? Why do you think we woke up at four in the morning just to lurk in the hallway?"

Rosalie glanced up at the old grandfather clock in the corner. It was just past six o'clock. "Wait, they've been up for two hours?"

"And they haven't attacked each other once!" exclaimed Syrena. "Don't you see what this means?!"

Cautiously, Rosalie shook her head.

"IT'S LOVE!" they whisper-screamed.

"Ooh, you're right!" said Rosalie in a gushy tone. "Shh, let's watch."

One, two, three, four curious heads peeked around the doorframe, straining their ears to hear the conversation, their obsessive fangirl minds already formulating plans for spectacular, potentially embarrassing fan art and fanfics about the subject.

"Remind me why we're doing this again?" whined Tobey, who was currently stirring the pancake batter with a look of digust.

"Because since Rosalie was gracious enough to let this mob scene of insanity into her house, I wanted to make myself useful around here," retorted WordGirl bossily. She looked worn ragged from fighting in the battle, fixing up the entire house, and waking up at such an ungodly hour to cook. "Plus, we do have about sixty people to feed. We'd better get a head start on it."

"I still say it'd be easier to just have the Butcher and Two-Brains whip up something," muttered Tobey, who was moody from having to do manual labor. "We've already been to the grocery store five times, and the fridge is bone bare. Just be glad that stuck-up Rosalie girl seems like such a rich brat."

WordGirl objected to his last remark, but much to Rosalie's resentment, she too seemed amused by the debatable stereotype. Then, her tone became serious and annoyed once more as she remembered whom she was conversing with. "I never asked you to help; the only reason you're down here at all is because you practically clung to my leg when I tripped over you as you were sleeping right outside my door."

"You know, normally, most girls would fawn over a guy sleeping outside their room," Tobey teased as he flipped over the pancakes. "Although, of course, I would never possibly consider you to be normal, WordGirl." As the boy genius laughed, he suddenly found a projectile of batter splashing into his face.

"Tobey, if you're going to try flirting with me, you'd better get out before I do something I regret," threatened WordGirl, wielding a spoon dripping with pancake batter like a weapon.

"Gosh, alright," conceded Tobey quickly. "Honestly, you could try being a bit more civil. Not every dilemma can be solved by picking a fight."

WordGirl was about to lash out with a bitter remark, but she held her tongue, knowing it would only prove his point.

"See, that wasn't so hard," said Tobey encouragingly, albeit a fraction of gloating contempt. "I know you'd get tired of fighting me sooner or later."

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked WordGirl warily, deaf to the eager squeals of the hidden fangirls.

"Oh come, quit lying to me. You're no good at it anyway. Doesn't get a little tiresome of keeping your guard up so you don't say something you regret?" Tobey's voice dropped to a blend of menace and intimacy. "Just give up. Surrender the fight. I'm tired of waiting, of endlessly being stuck in spin cycle. I may not have been able to win you in our world, but now, I will stop at nothing to take home the prize."

"I… I…" WordGirl stuttered, knocking over a chair as she backed away in fear. Tobey had gotten past her defenses, had thrown her off guard for once, and she was terrified by it.

WordGirl was just about to speak when the kitchen door banged open to reveal none other than Scoops.

"Scoops!" exclaimed WordGirl delightedly, her cheeks as pink as the hearts sparkling in her eyes. Tobey looked like he would pay all the money in the world to see Scoops getting hit by a bus.

"Oh no you don't!" shouted Syrena fiercely, leaping from her hiding place. "I'm not about to let this love be ruined by him! Besides, Scoops isn't even supposed to be in this story! So, with sensible romance as my witness, I banish you with my author powers!"

In the blink of an eye, everyone watched in astonishment as the dorky reporter vanished in a violet cloud of sparkles.

Rosalie facepalmed. "Does no one care about the rules of writing!?"

Then, realizing what she had done, Syrena grinned sheepishly at Tobey and WordGirl's flabbergasted expressions.

"Oops! Sorry about that!" said Syrena cheerfully. "By all means, just carry on while the other fangirls and I stay out of sight, nowhere to be seen. And we're definitely not going to be eavesdropping on you, clinging to your every word, motion, and facial expression so we can gush to the fandom later!"

Smiling with a glaringly fake attempt at innocence, the girls began to retreat to their hiding place, eager to resume their spying, when they crashed into none other than a whole swarm of villains, each fighting to gain entry into the paradise for the famished.

"Ugh! I give up!" cried Syrena in exasperation.

"Ha! That's what you get for out-of-control author powers!" said Rosalie triumphantly before being slammed to the floor by the onslaught of hungry villains.

"Oh well, girls," said Jenny. "At least they made waffles. Gosh, those look delicious!"

* * *

"And then she told me it didn't matter, that I would still go amazingly far in life!" said Kerry over a staggering platter of pancakes as she relayed the story of a girl in her class who had scoffed her upon complaining about the unsatisfactory 98 percentile she had scored on her Terra Nova exam. Jenny and Syrena were blissfully ignoring the tedious conversation, whereas Rosalie was pulled in with rapt attention.

"I know! Isn't so annoying?" agreed Rosalie. "You know, whenever people say things like that to me, I think of all those who just graduated from college. They have all the knowledge, enthusiasm, and potential to go far in life, but if there are no opportunities for them, then it's all for nothing. You're not guaranteed anything in life; it's mostly just a matter of luck. So, I say why risk the one chance you're given to succeed?"

"Exactly!" exclaimed Kerry enthusiastically, nearly knocking over the syrup. "For example, the Terra Nova exam. Sure, a 98 percentile is acceptable, but you're boss isn't going to be satisfied with acceptable. You may be completely capable with the position, but if it's you between a 98 percentile and a 99 percentile, they're going to choose the 99."

"Fortunately, I scored a 99 percentile in all five categories this year," Rosalie gloated. (No joke, I really did.)

Eyes bugging, Kerry sprayed her entire drink on Syrena's face, drenching her in sticky orange juice. "What!? _You're _the person who beat me on that exam?"

"Yup. Here, you want to see my results?" Rosalie rifled through a yellow portfolio, beaming with pride as she laid the evidence of her flawless score before Kerry's eyes.

"No way! How much did you study for it? I usually averaged about 3.5 hours on weekdays, 5 on weekends—"

"Actually, all I did to prepare for it was skim through my algebra textbook ten minutes before the exam. Yes, I know it's strange, but I've never really had to cram for tests. My friends sometimes stereotype that it's because I'm part Asian."

"Actually, I was just reading this interesting study about that—"

"Sorry to break up the two brainacs," Jenny interrupted as she passed napkins to a disgruntled, orange-faced Syrena. "But would you mind conversing about something we simple-minded folk can understand?"

"Sure!" said Kerry brightly. "Why don't we talk about the Pythagorean Theorem?"

Jenny slammed her face into her waffles.

* * *

This was general mood of the conversation throughout breakfast, filled with pleasant banter and small talk. No one dared to speak about Miss Power, her name like a taboo looming over the shallow façade of normalcy.

One debate about the pros and cons of the Oxford comma, a conversation lamenting the dwindling tiger population, a fight about the two 2012 presidential candidates (with Rosalie as a Republican and Kerry as a Democrat), and a discussion on whether or not Winx Club was anywhere near as awesome as My Little Pony later, Rosalie volunteered to take out the trash. As she carried her revolting load outside, Rosalie glanced around at her bustling neighbors with newfound amazement. People were mowing their lawns, pruning the glorious flower beds to perfection, or simply lounging on lawn chairs in desperation to soak up the sun's ray. It was all so peaceful, so normal, that Rosalie found herself envious. After all she had seen over the past 24 hours, she wondered if she would ever be able to reunite herself with that world. A desire for unity burned in her heart, and yet she felt alienated from it all, as if legions of galaxies separated them. Somehow, the feeling was welcomed, and Rosalie immediately knew why: she enjoyed being special.

Amazingly, her dream of becoming a character in a fairytale had come to fruition, the words of a story reeling her into their fantasy like chains. She had become the fearless hero, the triumphant savior, the one who would always proclaim her happy ending. Before, she had always believed these roles were reserved for the very few, leaving the rest of humanity to rattle around the world aimlessly and without purpose, but now, she caught herself wondering if everyone had a secret story hidden in their hearts, unsung and yet all the more beautiful. Rosalie had found her tale of glory, had written her fairytale ending.

So why did her story seem unfinished?

Dragging the heavy bag down the stone pathway in the garden and nearly swooning from the horrid reek, she swung it into the trash bin, backing away before the flies swarmed around her.

She was just about to head back inside when she noticed a secluded trickle of an ominous crimson liquid, and for some reason, she didn't think it was because of red food coloring. Approaching gingerly, Rosalie pushed back the trash bin, a horrified scream resounding from her now ghostly pale face when she saw what lay beyond.

The two rotting corpses of her bodyguards.

Rosalie backed away in horror from the ghastly scene, and yet her eyes couldn't resist roaming the two marred bodies, taking in every last retched detail and committing it to memory. Their limbs had been brutally twisted into grotesque positions, made even more horrendous by the infestation of maggots, which fed upon the rotting flesh. Rosalie could see that many body parts had found themselves disconnected from the whole in the gruesome struggle. Their mouths were open wide in one last eternal scream, which despite its silence was ringing terribly in Rosalie's ears. A disembodied skull lay at her feet, its eyes gouged out from Miss Power's lasers glaring at her accusingly.

And it was right. She was the reason they died. Indirectly, unknowingly, and yet that did not lessen the result. It was an accident, but what good did that serve them? Mistakes still bore the exact same consequences; therefore, accidents are never accidents.

If the guards had decided to run, they probably would have made it out alive. After all, Miss Power wasn't interested in them; Rosalie was her only target. Their deaths had been purely by association, by being in the wrong place, at the wrong time, with the wrong course of action. Judging by the clenched grip around their guns, they met their end in a fight, a fight to protect her, a stranger.

Rosalie cried. She didn't even know their names.

Bile scorched up Rosalie's throat, spewing from her mouth to mingle with the blood drenching the ground. Down on her hands and knees, she heaved until there was nothing but the tears dripping steadily from her eyes, the constant beat in the orchestra of sorrow. Her cries of hysteria were the symphony's flute, her screams the trumpet heralding tragedy.

She didn't even notice the blue bolt streaking across the sky, which could only symbolize one thing.

Miss Power was back.

* * *

**Yes, I know, I was a bit of an attention hog in this one. Next chapter focuses primarily on Jenny, and that's when the good stuff starts happening. Believe me, a lot is going to happen in that chapter, roughly marking the mid-way point in the story. So, expect Chapter 7 (hopefully) on Thursday!**

**Love to all,**

**Bella**


	8. Judas in Our Midst

**Happy Thursday! Wow, thank God I made my deadline this time. Actually, on Monday I did have a bit of a scare; my laptop was malfunctioning so that it simply wouldn't turn on, and this entire chapter was on a Word document but not saved to fanfiction. Eventually, though, as you can tell, I got it working again (I have no clue what happened to it), and fortunately the chapter was saved.**

**Okay, so in this chapter, I'm faced with the issue of bringing supernatural characters into a seemingly reality-based fanfiction. You already know that Syrena has the ability to transform into a wolf, and now, another character will possess a similar ability. I have received some mockery and complaints about this (Don't worry, lightball, it's not you), and I understand the concern. I myself was reluctant to introduce this part of the story, but I did have to respect the wishes of the other three writers who wished their personifications to have magical abilities. And so, I (well, Rosalie, really) took the liberty of not becoming becoming a fairy (I know you're rolling your eyes, and yes, I'm just that obsessed with Winx Club), so I hope that suffices.**

**Now, I pretty much worked my butt off to get this chapter done on time. The word count? 6,458 words, nearly 3 times as long as usual. Get comfy, folks.**

* * *

Alone in Rosalie's room, Jenny curled herself into a tiny ball as she perched herself atop of the bookshelf closest to the window. Sunlight doused her face, although it seemed wane and dim in comparison to the radiance of Georgia, where the sun kissed faces into a rosy glow. But it wasn't a case of homesickness that had put a damper on Jenny's mood.

It seemed that the horrors of yesterday had finally begun to skin in, chilling Jenny to her very core. She wanted to cry, to scream, to do anything to make herself heard against the suffocating cloud of terror swirling around her. Her muscles were frozen in tension and anticipation, waiting for the moment when Miss Power would leap from the shadows and bring about the end of the world, her world, with Jenny's death.

Jenny pressed her face against the cool windowpane and watched her tears stream like shimmering ribbons down the glass. She knew her fear wasn't misplaced; she could feel the rising peril, already tearing apart her heart as if in preparation for the approaching moment when it stopped.

Jenny couldn't take any more of her solitude, and yet she didn't want to go downstairs where the others were reveling in a false happiness so as to put off the sadness until it broke like a dam, the flood of grief unbearable. Jenny wanted the revel in her sadness, to relish and nourish it, for it may be one of the last emotions she ever felt. And yet she also wanted someone to share in it, someone who would understand how she felt.

Quietly, Jenny crept into the hallway and softly cracked open doors while down below she could hear the booming radio, playing the song "Die Young" by Ke$ha as her friends continued last night's party without a care in the world. Trying not to think about the irony, Jenny continued onward.

Finally, she reached the final door. Pressing her ear to the keyhole, Jenny could hear the faint tinkering sound of metal pounding against metal. Curious, she silently pushed open the door to see Dr. Two-Brains on the floor of the grand library, laboring tirelessly to repair the inter-dimensional ray gun.

Despite the fact that Jenny had been all but inaudible in her entry, his head still snapped upward in a jolt of shock, relaxing only when he turned around and saw whom it was.

"Oh good, it's only you, Jenny," said the scientist in relief. Wordlessly, Jenny came inside and seated herself on the floor next to Two-Brains. He looked utterly exhausted and haggard, his white hair scraggly, his lab coat sagging upon his slightly quaking body. His pink eyes were more bloodshot than usual, highlighted by the deep, sagging rings around them. An empty wine bottle teetered precariously over a rickety heap of books and papers. In short, he looked a complete nervous wreck.

"Have you been up all night?" asked Jenny concernedly.

"Of course I have," Two-Brains replied wearily, his voice weighed down like that of a man who had lived through a thousand wars, seen a thousand deaths. "We have to get out of here as soon as possible, even though I know we'll never make it in time. Call me crazy, but I can feel her, like a rolling black wave, and I know you can sense it too. She's coming, and that's when all hell will break loose." Noticing Jenny's wary glance at the wine bottle, he added, "No, I'm not drunk, at least not properly so. I just needed to take the edge off what's going to happen, what's going to happen to all of us. Like it or not, today's the day we die."

Jenny understood the enormity of what he was saying, but she couldn't concentrate on any of it. Her eyes kept gravitating in amazement at how gracefully his fingers glided over the damaged pieces, more like an intricate dance than anything else.

"Yes, it's amazing, isn't it, how such wicked hands can be used for such delicacy." Jenny could sense a hint of bitterness in his voice, and underneath, the tiniest bit a guilt and blame. "I sometimes think the world is an art, with a thousand artists each painting their interpretation of how the world she be. It's just a shame ours turned out to be the devil. I suppose you would understand that, Jenny, being an artist and all. I only wish you could paint us a happy ending, or better yet, just wipe the canvas clean and start anew. Paint a new world, a better one, one the human race can be proud of."

There was then a pause in conversation, where they sat in silence while the enormity of their destiny swirled around them. Finally, Jenny spoke up.

"I… I never got the chance to thank you for volunteering to come here with me to battle Miss Power. Knowing what she almost did to you, that was very brave."

"Yes, well, you're welcome. It's probably better to get all those last thoughts off our chests before we die."

"You know we still have a chance, though," whispered Jenny, although she wasn't sure if even she believed it.

"We have no chance, Jenny, and you better accept it," Two-Brains said. "Judging by all these books, all anyone believes around here is a happy ending. But they're wrong, they're all wrong, and they'll learn just that when they die today. Maybe good will win somewhere else, but today, evil is going to be victorious, and that's all there is to it."

"But you have to believe in something more, right? You can't just see the bad side in life but the good side too. You have to believe in the beautiful things, in love and hope and light. There has to be something higher, a God or something that will fight to make sure we win."

At that, Dr. Two-Brains gently set down his tools. Turning to Jenny, he looked her directly in the eyes, as if daring her to back down her claim. And yet there was also a certain tenderness, a certain assured pity, as if he knew far more than she and that Jenny was a fool for thinking otherwise.

Brushing a lock of black hair from her eyes, he said bluntly, "Dear, sweet, innocent girl, God gave up on me a long time ago. There might be a God, Jenny, and there might not be, but either way we're on our own.

* * *

"Those extremely irritating and weird author girls seriously get on my nerves; they're almost as annoying as my Goody-Two-Shoes sister herself," complained Miss Power as she shot like a bullet toward Rosalie's house. Gigglecheeks, who had never encountered these girls, automatically agreed with his mistress as always, never questioning her judgment.

"In addition to WordGirl, we will return, defeat, and possibly destroy them, the possessions we can't sell on eBay, the friends we can't sell into slavery, the souls we can't burn in Hell, and that second-rate villain. You know, the weirdo one with the old lab coat and bright purple tie. Why he has so many fangirls is beyond me."

Gigglecheeks chattered the dialect of Dras-Animi, the fifth moon of Lexicon.

"Your job?" Miss Power asked amusedly. "You're going to make sure none of WordGirl's vile blood spills on my clothes when I chop off her head. After all, it would be tragic if I got any bloodstains on my uniform, especially when it's been freshly laundered."

* * *

Meanwhile, as everyone else was completely oblivious to Miss Power's pending arrival, the party in Rosalie's living room was literally blowing up.

"Where the hell did you get those fireworks!?" screamed Kerry furiously at Timmy Tim-bo. "You're just lucky it went through the window and not the roof! Honestly, are you trying to blow us all up?" But Kerry's reprimands went unheard as the minor villain promptly passed out on the confetti-covered couch. Even if conscious, he still probably wouldn't have been able to hear Kerry over the blaring music and the cheers of the villains.

"Kerry, forget about it," said Syrena cheerfully, suddenly appearing out of the crowd with a lopsided party hat on her head and a wine glass filled with a suspicious looking red liquid that was definitely not fruit punch. Her face was flushed with excitement and an uncontrollable energy, her eyes shining just a little too brightly to be normal. "Come on, join the party!"

Without so much as a warning, Syrena pulled Kerry into the dining room, where the table, chairs, and china cabinet had been carelessly thrown aside to make room for the dance floor. Eyes scanning the crowd, Syrena waved enthusiastically to Big Left Hand Guy, who was playing the role of DJ. Syrena dragged Kerry through a seemingly non-existent gap in the wall of swaying bodies. Throwing her glass to the ground, she proceeded to dance in such a wild manner she never would have even considered if sober. Kerry glanced over at Hal Hardbargain, who was managing the drink table, and silently said a prayer for the poor soul for the unbridled outrage that would most certainly crash down on him upon the discovery of the spiked drinks.

Soon however, Kerry found herself being dragged down into the party's energy. The music vibrated under her feet, leaking into her soul and providing her steps guidance into perfect rhythm with everyone around her. The world became a dizzying kaleidoscope of color, the sights and sounds overloading Kerry's mind with a sense of elation. Soon, she found herself hopelessly caught up in the exuberance of the party, of the euphoria of simply being alive. The drinks weren't spiked after all; everyone's joyful mood was simply attributed to the fact that after yesterday, every breath, every heartbeat was all the more precious, for all the odds had pointed to it not even being there at all.

But there were two people miraculously immune to the giddy joy and frivolity. Standing solidary on the edge of the dance floor, Tobey and Two-Brains were as stony statues, their hardened gazes taking in all the rambunctious spirit of life and yet were deaf to its cries.

"Honestly, this song is horrible!" exclaimed Two-Brains. "What does 'Va Va Voom' even mean?"

"It's Nicki Minaj; don't expect much," replied Tobey in a blasé manner. "You just have to deal with it. Anyway, what was the cause of the all-high-and-mighty genius Dr. Two-Brains to grace us with your presence? I thought you hadn't finalized the repairs on the inter-dimensional ray yet."

"I haven't, but Jenny talked me into coming. She said I needed a break from working."

"Since when have you taken orders from a 14-year-old girl?" Tobey scoffed.

Two-Brains feebly stammered in response, but by this point, Tobey was clearly not paying the slightest of attention to the conversation. His eyes were trained on WordGirl, laughing with a carefree grace as she glided enchantingly across the floor, too perfect to even be considered dancing. Her glossy ebony hair was swishing in the harsh light of the disco ball, throwing off brilliant sparks of light. To Tobey, she was utterly pulchritudinous** (BIG shout-out to Riley from the wikia for teaching me that word!)**, the embodiment of beauty. Her sparkling eyes were like the pinpricks of candle light, guiding Tobey home, to the one place he belonged. His eyes gazed at her hungrily, as does a starving man gaze at food after days of famine. It was as if he were trying to perfectly remember this moment and bottle it up into a lifetime of memories.

"I know what you're thinking about, Tobey," said Two-Brains with an unexpected gentleness and sincerity. "I've told you this a million times; I wish you would understand that it's a lost cause. You have to stop this insanity before it kills you both."

"And I've told you a million times that I can't!" Tobey snapped, not taking his eyes of the superheroine. "She's mine. I need her."

"Of course, it's all about you, isn't it? Have you ever once stuck your head out of that self-absorbed little bubble of desire you live in and thought about what's best for her? Has it ever crossed your mind that despite your puppy-love, you're not good for her?"

At that, Tobey fully snapped out of his trance. "What do you mean?" he demanded indignantly. "We're perfect together! No one can match her intellect except for me, and you know it!"

"You don't get it, do you? This… obsession, it's hurting not only you but her as well. You blame the reporter boy, but honestly, amidst all the turmoil in her life, is it so much to ask that she be granted a bit of normalcy? You love her, but for all the wrong reasons. You don't want her as your equal; you want to prove your domination over her again and again. She's your drug, your addiction, and each time your lust for her drags you an inch lower into Hell. You've hurt her so many times, so what makes you think she'll ever love you? Just face it; you don't deserve her, and even if you did, you would utterly ruin her with your corruption. You're like a child in a tantrum: you scream for hours on end for a toy, and yet you destroy it the second it's in your grasp. You want to break her until she loves you, but what good will she be then? If you truly love her, you would let her go. Let her be happy." Two-Brains sighed and turned his head away, tears beginning to well in his eyes. "We're monsters, the lot of us, but they're not. It's too late for us, but at least we can save them from what we've become."

Tobey was speechless. "You… you almost sound like you…" The boy genius saw Two-Brains' gaze flicker momentarily to Jenny, and suddenly, everything fell into place. "Oh, I see what this is about." After a brief, contemplative silence, Tobey continued, saying sympathetically, "I don't suppose I have to tell you all the reasons why it would never work, do I?"

Two-Brains sighed. "No, you don't. I'm disgusted with myself for even considering the possibility with her. She's too young, too innocent, too… she's too good. Her soul is so pure and beautiful that all I would do is corrupt it. Despicable as I am, I do have a conscience, and I know I would never be able to forgive myself."

"But that doesn't change the fact that you've fallen for her."

"No, it doesn't." The evil scientist was grateful Tobey hadn't said 'love'; it would only seem all the more terrible and repulsive.

Tobey paused, choosing his next words carefully. Despite the blaring music, it felt as if a deafening dome of silence was pressing down upon them, a silence that could be shattered at once if this came out wrong. "I know I'm probably the last person you'd what to hear this from, but no matter how much you wish things could be different, Jenny's not Jessamine."

At that, Two-Brains glared at Tobey furiously, letting waves of fury drown the boy. Tobey had always pictured anger as scalding hot, but at that moment, it felt as if he had been turned to ice.

"How dare you mention Jessamine in front of me," said Two-Brains, livid and terrifying. His voice hadn't risen in the slightest, but it still felt like a screaming bellow of rage, powerful enough to shatter the windows and waft up to the heavens where Jessamine resided. "McCallister blood is poison, and it's throttled me for far too long. Your father was a fool, a bloody fool, and it seems you haven't fallen far from the tree. The only reason I tolerate you is because I believe in second chances, but mention her name again and I swear to God, I will—"

But the threat remained unfinished as Rosalie and the Help Guy burst through the front door with looks of petrified terror on their faces. Their dramatic entrance instantly pulled the plug on the party, with everyone falling silent.

"HELP! MISS POWER—"

"Hey, how did you even get here?" asked Syrena, addressing the Help Guy. "You weren't even in this story!"

"Well, I just happened to find him outside," explained Rosalie. "And I figured that there's no better scene transition than a dramatic entrance."

"Sorry," added the Help Guy sheepishly. "I was reading the script, and I just thought now would be a good time to run in and yell 'HELP!'"

"Wait, what's happening?" asked WordGirl concernedly.

But she had asked too late. No further explanation was needed as the front door was blasted off its hinges, sending everyone careening to the floor. Through the rubble of splintered wood, Miss Power stepped inside, her presence like a sponge absorbing all the sound and color and light in the room. She held herself with a terrifying regal stance, smirking when she witnessed the terror she had instigated.

"Well, would you look at this?" said Miss Power amusedly upon seeing the Lexiconian at her feet. "WordGirl's already fallen to her knees at the sight of me, and I haven't even fired a single attack. Perhaps I underestimated myself."

None of the other villains dared to speak as if a single syllable uttered would cause their tongues to be gouged. WordGirl was the first to recover from shock, springing into the air and readying herself defensively. Her eyes were set aflame, the fierce look of the oppressed finally rising up against the oppressor.

Suddenly, Eileen approached Miss Power fearlessly, not because of courage, but of a far less noble emotion, an emotion that wound around her heart like a vice: greed.

"Ooh, that's an adowable wittle monkwey," she said delightedly in her irritating baby voice. WordGirl looked as if she were about to gag, but Eileen took no notice, her eyes set aglow by Captain Gigglecheeks, yet another possession she believed was hers. "Cwan I have him? Pwetty pwease? It's my biwthday, after all." **(That sentence was painful to write. :D)**

Miss Power was taken aback and stared at the bratty ten-year-old awkwardly, not quite sure how to handle this. "Er… no. Now shoo, you pesky child! I'm about to get started with my gloating, cliché, evil villain declaration of doom to all my enemies, stating exactly how I'm going to defeat them and why!" Without further ado, Miss Power pulled out a thick scroll of parchment and unraveled it, the end cascading to the floor and extending across the length of the room.

Clearing her throat, she began, "Lady Redundant Woman, you are going to die by being tied to a rusty anchor and thrown into the sea because I always despised your haircut. Mr. Big, you are going to be tied down to a train track and be eaten by wild hyenas because you didn't scream loudly enough when I tortured you the last time we met. Ms. Question, you are going to be thrown off the Empire State Building while being shot at with paintball guns…"

"Um, now would be a good idea for you to use your author powers to save us, you know," whispered Syrena.

"I know," said Rosalie, barely concealing a grin as she looked amusedly at Eileen, who was trembling with rage at being denied Gigglecheeks. "But that's a power I save only for important situations."

"You don't call this a situation!?" hissed Syrena. "There is an alien dictator reading off a list of our deaths, and you don't think that qualifies as a situation!?"

"But I always get want I want!" screamed Eileen, cutting off Miss Power's gruesome account of how she would fry Invisi-Bill in a vat of lava swimming with crocodiles on Venus. "That monkey is mine! Mine! MINE!"

"Now this," said Rosalie, "Is a situation."

* * *

"Sausage Cyclone!"

"Peanut Butter Blast!"

"Clones! Strike, hit, and attack!"

The battle had been raging for nearly three hours, with neither side gaining much leeway. It had started the moment Eileen landed the first blow upon Miss Power, thus letting everyone's restraint dissolve like a breaking dam only to be replaced with the rush of war. Those from Fair City were fighting vigorously, but as the duel raged on into twilight, it was clear that Miss Power and Gigglecheeks were gaining the upper hand. The pair were progressively cutting down their opponents, inching ever closer to WordGirl, the true target. For the wiki-ers crouched in fear under the table, it was all an eerie déjà vu of the epic showdown from the movie, although this time around, it may not have quite the happy ending.

"Come on!" cried Syrena in frustration. "We can't just sit around like this is all some game! This time around, it's real, and I for one am not going to sit back like a coward." Before anyone was given the chance to object, Syrena was already phasing into her wolf form and charging into the fray with a reckless bravery. The remaining three girls winced as their ears were assaulted with the crack of jaws crunching bone.

"Syrena!" shouted Kerry angrily, as if her best friend was a misbehaving child. "There's a time and a place to be reckless!" Without further ado, a brilliant light pulsated from Kerry's body. When it faded, there emerged a full-fledged unicorn, with a glistening chestnut coat and shimmering mahogany mane, along with a royal blue poncho the color of her sparkling eyes with a white letter K superimposed on the chest.

Startled, Rosalie exclaimed a word WordGirl never would have defined, while Jenny nearly toppled over from shock.

"What the hell?!" screamed Jenny. "You're a unicorn!"

"Thank you, Captain Obvious," said Kerry sarcastically.

"Holy cow, it talks!"

"Whatever happened to reality-based?" cried Rosalie in exasperation. "Honestly, it's like I'm the only author who cares about continuity! Do you have any idea what kind of outrage we're going to get from our readers if we keep up destroying any kind of believability?

Kerry simply shrugged and pranced off into the heat of the battle, giving off dazzling sparks of energy as she went.

Cursing the incompetent trials of decent writing, Rosalie dragged Jenny back under the table for protection. After a while, Jenny said, "Rosalie, I have to go."

"Not you too!" the other girl cried in disbelief. "And here I thought you had some common sense. How many times do I have to tell you that we can't rush in their like hotheads? We have to formulate a plan—"

"No, not like that," interrupted Jenny hastily. "I don't want to go into the battle. I just really need to _go_."

"Need to go… go… go… oh!" said Rosalie triumphantly upon realization, which turned to annoyance and disbelief in the space of a second. "You have got to be kidding me. Who needs to go to the bathroom in the middle of an epic battle scene?"

"I'm sorry, but I really do need to go!" said Jenny, fidgeting nervously.

"Look, can't you wait just ten minutes?"

"No!" Jenny said indignantly.

"Okay, okay, just give me a second," said Rosalie just as a violent shock wave nearly snapped the sturdy rosewood table in half. "Okay, there's a potted plant perched in the kitchen. You'll have to fight your way past Chuck, Lady Redundant Woman… Lady Redundant Woman, Lady Redundant Woman, and Victoria Best, but if you run like a bat out of hell, you just might make it."

"Can't you just put the battle on pause for a minute or two while I run upstairs?" asked Jenny.

"No way! Have you ever seen an entire showdown of epicness that decides the very fate of the planet put on hold so one of the characters can go to the bathroom?!"

**Or, you can use the downstairs bathroom; its door has been ajar for this entire time, just _five inches away_.**

The two girls swiveled around, and there it was, just as the Narrator said.

Jenny blushed with embarrassment before scurrying hastily into the bathroom and slamming the door shut. Even with the ear-shattering sounds of battle, Rosalie could still her the scrapping and scuffling inside as Jenny attempted to barricade herself in.

With a sigh, Rosalie settled herself back into her hiding place and watched the brilliant lights of something far more deadly than a spectacle of fireworks. She refused to fight, not just yet; after all, this was WordGirl's battle, not hers. WordGirl was the one who had brought Miss Power here, so it was up to her to defeat her, the Lexiconian's greatest challenge, to stand up and be a damn hero for once. It would only be when WordGirl had been fed a good slice of humble pie that Rosalie would intervene.

Rosalie sneered. Things were going to go down with a bang.

* * *

All around the young heroine, her allies were steadily collapsing under the might of Miss Power, whom even WordGirl struggled to keep up with. She would soar at the speed of light to retrieve Granny May from her ensnarement as she dangled from the chandelier, only to discover that her nemesis had frozen Eileen into an ice sculpture. She spun dizzyingly around the room like a tornado, and yet Miss Power always seemed to stay one step ahead of her, the dictator's mocking laugher sending WordGirl into a rage. She pushed herself harder and harder until she surrendered total control and swirled around the room at dizzying speeds even by Lexiconian standards, but it still wasn't enough, she still couldn't catch up. Suddenly, Miss Power skidded to a stop, and WordGirl, who was flying at top speed, couldn't break in time. The twelve-year-old rocketed off Miss Power and crashed into a mirror. The shattered glass reflected tiny fragments of WordGirl as she lay trembling among the rubble, the fragments jagged and broken just as she was. Gigglecheeks let his elastic arms wind around WordGirl like vines, not letting her escape her terrifying fate.

Sneering, Miss Power leered with triumph as she looked down upon her defeated little sister. "I should have done this twelve years ago, but I didn't have the guts. But all that's irrelevant now. You've been a thorn in my side for far too long, and today's the day it ends. How does it feel to know you're going to die, WordGirl? I want you to listen to your heart drumming its last beats so you can hear its screams when I rip it from your chest. I want to look directly into your eyes when I kill you, to see the light drain from your eyes as you provide me the one thing our planet has strived for throughout centuries: eternal life.

Raising her arm, Miss Power was just about to deliver the final blow when the villains rose from their weakened, broken positions on the floor and valiantly surrounded WordGirl, forming a protective barrier around the girl to shield her from harm. Even Miss Power didn't have time to steady her fist, so the full impact of her blow crashed into Two-Brains. There then came the horrible cracking sound as at least several bones breaking as easily a child snapping a twig. The scientist collapsed to his knees in pain and clutched his wounded chest, his mouth open in one never-ending scream.

"Alright, that's enough!" shouted Rosalie angrily as she emerged from under the table. Reaching into her pocket, in an unprecedented move, Rosalie pulled out a gun yet again, aiming it not at Miss Power, but at WordGirl.

"Rosalie, what the hell do you think you're doing?!" the Lexiconian demanded.

"I'm standing up for what's right!" she replied defiantly.

"Oh really?" mocked Tobey, "Then you might want to get your eyesight checked, because the evil alien dictator wanting to destroy the world is over there."

"And anyway, you can't hurt me with that," WordGirl pointed out, glaring at her former ally with an unbridled rage.

"No, I can't," Rosalie conceded. "But I do have the one thing you've always feared on my side, which can do far more damage than a bullet to the chest: your secret identity."

WordGirl's eyes instantly widened at the proposition, bringing a smirk to Rosalie's face. "You wouldn't," she breathed, although even she herself couldn't validate this. "It's an empty threat."

"Oh, is it? Look around you. All your worst enemies are gathered here, and whether they like it or not, are hanging on to my every word, are desperate to finally uncover the evasive secret you've been hiding for so long, B—"

"Alright, alright, you've made your point!" WordGirl cried desperately. "Just… just tell me what you want!"

"In precisely three days, you are to engage Miss Power in another fight, only this time, no ally of yours, villain or wiki-er, is permitted to assist you. You are to fight alone, to finally stand up and be the hero you were supposed to be this whole time."

"What on Lexicon do you think you're doing, little girl?" demanded Miss Power.

"I do believe that I'm offering an alliance with you," said Rosalie coolly. "Despite my faults, I am not a fool. I know the victorious side of a battle when I see one, and so I hereby pledge my fidelity to you, that is, if you consent, my Lady." With a flourish, Rosalie knelt before Miss Power and ignored the outraged cries of protests from her former friends.

Miss Power smirked at this new proposition. "You know what? Anyone that concerned for their own survival, with a complete disregard for others, is an ally of mine. Of course, you may join me with my blessing."

"No!" screamed Kerry. "Rosalie, don't do this! Think about what this means for you, for all of us. You know WordGirl won't be able to win. If you join her, you'll be sealing the death of everyone on this planet!"

"And if I don't, I'll be sealing my own death!" Rosalie cried. "I'm not forcing this upon anyone; everyone has their own decision to make. If you really want someone to blame, blame WordGirl, who won't even hesitate to defend her own self-interests when it comes to saving the world. That's her decision. My alliance with Miss Power is my decision and mine alone. And of course, you and the other girls have a decision to make as well. Please, for your own good, stop this madness and join me."

"In your dreams!" shouted Syrena. "We're sticking with WordGirl!"

"Very well then," said Rosalie. Turning to WordGirl, she asked, "So, WordGirl, do you accept our terms?"

WordGirl looked around at her friends and foes, all looking at her with the same worried expectancy, as if they were waiting anxiously for her to pull through with a miracle. When would they understand that they expected too much, that she couldn't be the person they wanted, that they needed, that she needed? She knew perfectly well that walking alone into a battle with Miss Power was a small step above suicide, but at least those three days would give her some time to devise a plan. And anyway, even without Rosalie's blackmail, they were losing this battle. In the end, what choice did she have? Finally, the heroine sighed in defeat. "Fine. You win, Rosalie."

"Excellent," she said smugly. Then, giving Miss Power's sidekick her most flattering tone of voice, she said, "Captain Gggiglecheeks, would you please be a dear and tie Mr. Big up?"

"Hey!" exclaimed Miss Power. "I'm the only one who gives orders to my sidekick!" Delightedly chattering, the alien monkey paid no attention to his mistress's objection, and so, with a flourishing bow to Rosalie, he procured a spool of rope out of one of his numerous pockets, as all cartoon characters seem to innately possess, and proceeded to tie up the evil businessman.

"Woah, what do you think you're doing?!" shouted WordGirl in alarm. "I never agreed to that!"

"Yes, I hate to agree with that Goody Two-Shoes little brat, but in this case, I have to," said Miss Power testily, but albeit with a genuine curiosity. "What do you think you're doing?!"

"This is what I call extra insurance," replied Rosalie nastily, laughing in such a manner that could only be described as villainous. "Just to make sure you don't break your end of the deal, I'm taking Mr. Big as hostage. If you don't show up to the fight, not only will I reveal your secret identity, but I'm also afraid you'll also have to be burdened with some unprecedented funeral arrangements."

"Why are you doing this?" cried WordGirl, pleading for an answer, any answer, to this insanity.

Before taking off into the sky in a streak of blue light with Miss Power, Rosalie simply stated, "Because I always keep my promises."

Everyone watched helplessly in shock as Miss Power, Gigglecheeks, Rosalie, and a not-so-innocent civilian took to the clouds as four indistinct shadows, diminishing in size until they were mere specks of darkness against the setting sun, its crimson hue seemingly to drip through the branches like blood.

"I… I just can't believe… she's gone," whispered WordGirl amazedly.

"Hey, Kerry, are you okay?" asked Syrena. Everyone turned to see Kerry trembling shell-shocked by the window as she strained her eyes in the hopes of catching one more glimpse of Rosalie.

"No," breathed Kerry. "No! She's not gone, she just can't be!"

"Kerry!" Syrena caught hold of her friend's wrist as she tried to run away.

"Let go of me!" she cried, wrenching her hand free. Kerry ran out the front door, leaving behind nothing but a trail of sparkling tears.

It was just then that Jenny finally emerged from the bathroom. "Hi everyone!" she exclaimed cheerfully. Noticing everyone's grave expressions as they stood among the rubble of the battle, she then asked, "Hey, did something happen?"

* * *

**Well, that was a pretty abrupt face-heel-turn on my part. That's what the whole threat to WordGirl was about in Chapter 6. So, given the circumstances, was joining Miss Power justifiable? **

**So, I'd particularly like to hear your thoughts both on Rosalie's betrayal as well as that interesting scene with Jenny and Two-Brains. Now, depending upon your interpretation, that scene may have sent some mixed messages. I already know some of the malice toward the Two-BrainsxWordGirl pairing, simply because of the wide age gap (Note that TB did acknowledge this). I'm not saying this view is negative; it is simply what I observed. So anyway, my question to you is this: How would you feel about any potential romantic connections between Jenny and Two-Brains? By romantic, I'm not suggesting a full-on make out scene every five paragraphs. It would be pretty much more of that fluff but escalated. I'm not trying to be a pheodile here; I just want to gauge my readers' aversion to this type of thing and will go from there. **

**Now, when will the next chapter come? Currently, I'm aiming at next Friday, but I'm quite uncertain on whether I can meet the deadline, because over the next two days, I will be conducting my final preparations for *gets giant megaphone* THE DREADED HIGH SCHOOL ENTRANCE EXAM! Yes, on Saturday, I will be taking a four-hour test of torture in the hopes of gaining acceptance to the high school of my choice. A-honor roll for the past 3 years? Check. Near flawless marks on standardized tests? Check. First place medals from two Academic Bowls? Check. Reassured about high school? A definite no. :D So in short, I'm aiming for Friday, but don't count on it.**

**I'm super-interested to read your reviews for this one! *wink wink nudge nudge***

**Love to all,**

**Bella**


	9. Rosalie Goes Rogue

**My four-day weekend begins! Now, whether will this mean heaps of brilliant writing time or a whole glob of laziness, that remains to be seen. Hey, in my defense, I did spend the past two hours working on the final scene in this one... okay, that just sounded pathetic. Yes, I barely have any friends, end of story. Now, let me get started with this story before I say something else I regret.**

**But first, let me respond to some reviews! (I was just too lazy to send PM's to everyone, so I'll just do it here.)**

** TLWG: That is ****_exactly _****the reason why! You get an imaginary gold sticker for unweaving my plot points!**

** casrules401: "Do I even need to say it? Concidence!" Thanks for taking the extra time to review!**

** lightball34: I'm glad you like that about me. I try to do a bunch of crazy and unexpected risks simply because it makes it all the more interesting for me to write. Half the time, most of my plot points come as I'm writing, and I just flat-out blow my mind with what I thought up. **

** TLBB: Hope you did well on science fair! No matter how you did, it feels so much better after it's all over.**

** Pencil in her hand: You and me both. I wonder how it is for soldiers in the army when a battle goes on for hours, sometimes days. o_O**

** Riley: Thanks for the motivation! That's 10% of what keeps me writing; the other 90% is simply me have an insatiable desire to screw with your minds. :D**

** KimDWil71: Since this story is relatively light-hearted compared to my other stories, I'll try to keep the deaths to a minimum. *inside my head* ****_Oh, the irony. They have no idea what's coming..._**

**Thank you all for expressing your thoughts on Jenny and Dr. Two-Brains. (No need to put the X, folks, they're not a couple quite just yet.) At this point, I don't really know where I'm going to go with them. For now, I'll just experiment with them chapter by chapter, see what works and what doesn't, and what you guys like. Thanks so much!**

**This chapter is 6,799 words long. Oh God, what am I doing to myself?!... Now it's 7,067. Great. Note to self: Cut down on the author notes and start the story already!**

* * *

Kerry ran at top speed, letting the world swirl around her dizzyingly in a shrieking discord. The bird's dulcet melodies seemed to be shrill cries, the gentle sun a blinding blaze. Several times she fell to the damp earth, the mud and grass staining her jeans, but she immediately kept going, desiring no particular destination save for a place where she could be alone with her thoughts. Kerry soon lost all sense of direction as she blindly weaved a path through the bustling streets of San Francisco. Faintly, she could hear the disgruntled cries of pedestrians as she forcefully

Eventually, her footsteps began to slow, and Kerry found herself on the shore of the beach, with the mighty Pacific Ocean stretched out in a marvelous expanse of brilliance. The sand seemed to glitter like diamonds, almost as white as new-fallen snow, while the sea was completely undisturbed in which the fullness of the heavens were reflected into its icy depths. Unlike the Gulf of Mexico, a mere 30-mile drive from Venus Cove, with its joyful, rambunctious waves where time seemed to blur into a single second of bliss, here, it seemed that delicate breeze had snatched hold of time and grappled it into a standstill so that one could sleep for a thousand years in an endless, dreamless state of being, awake, and never know the difference.

Kerry's lungs burned in chest, and so she dropped to her knees as she gratefully gulped in lungfuls of the salty ocean breeze. She perched herself atop an outcropping of rock, and, kicking off her shoes, let her bare toes dangle off the edge and brush the blistering-hot sand.

She now understood Syrena's formerly inexplicable draw toward Amethyst River; looking at the water made a person feel as if all their problems could be drowned in its frigid embrace. The gently rolling waves were life rushing by in a frenzied haste, moving so fast and yet never advancing further, eternally caught in a circle. Kerry closed her eyes and tried her hardest not to think, deciding instead to focus all her thought, attention, and being on the thunder of the waves crashing to shore, the steady rhythm taking up her entire world.

It was only when the rhythm was disrupted that Kerry flickered open her eyes to see Syrena running frantically to her and screaming her name. Once reaching her friend, Syrena collapsed to her knees from exhaustion; clearly, she had been running just as fast as Kerry. Kerry stood by in silence, waiting for the assured reprimand she was about to receive.

When she finally could draw breath, Syrena said in a gentler tone than expected, "Look, I get it, okay? Finding out Rosalie was a back-stabbing little liar was a blow to all of us, but there's no point in dwelling over it. We've lost her to the dark side, and that's all there is to it."

"How can you even say that?" cried Kerry, unexpectedly high-pitched. "She cared about all of us, and doing what's right; surely, she had an ulterior motive for betraying us. Honestly, Rosalie was my friend, your friend—"

"Oh spare me, you only knew Rosalie outside the Internet for less than a day. I think you're stretching the definition of friend a little much. And besides, friends care about each other; they don't run away just when their friends need them most. If Rosalie was willing to join Miss Power of all people, then she obviously wasn't much of a friend in the first place."

"But Rosalie didn't leave us the first time," Kerry pointed out. "She was loyal to us then."

"People like Rosalie are only capable of doing something good if it benefits themselves," Syrena replied curtly. "Just face it, behind the sweet-bookworm façade, she was evil from the very beginning."

"It looks like you obviously forgot your techno-colored glasses today, because you know better than anyone that people aren't all black or white; we're just muddled shades of gray. You just don't like hearing that because it makes things harder on yourself."

"Rosalie's as good as dead for all I care," Syrena spat.

"Okay, now I know that's not true, Syrena. You're penting up the way you feel again, like nothing can faze you, like nothing matters to you anymore. One minute, you're a jubilant star, filled with wondrous emotion, and then suddenly, just when I feel you're finally going to open up for once, the spark sputters and you retract it all. I know you only moved away two years ago, but you're a far cry from the girl who spent all her time playing sports even when the weather was miserable and dreamed of becoming an Olympic star."

"That part of my life was filled with nothing but naivety," replied Syrena wistfully. "You want to know what happened to that girl? She opened her eyes and saw just how unrealistic her dreams were. Do you realize how many other girls have just the same dreams I have? It's like entering the lottery; I have no chance."

"I get it now," said Kerry. "It's not you're past that's scaring you; it's your future. You lock away your emotions, your dreams, and your heart because you can't stand to face what the climax will bring. You're afraid that if you invest too much passion into the things you love the most, the things that make you who you are, you'll only end up disappointing yourself or have others disappoint you. It's happened with Xavier, and now it's happened with Rosalie."

"And you're one to talk. Have you ever once stuck your nose out of all those textbooks, out of all your plans for the future, and realize that you haven't prepared yourself to face hardest obstacle in life: failure? Life isn't fair, success doesn't come to those who most deserve it, and misfortune falls upon the best of people. The real world is cruel, savage, and remorseless, and when you end up there, it will tear you to shreds and eat you alive. Sure, you've considered the possibility, but it's been a dim, distant fear, up to the point where you believe that failure simply isn't an option. You've never once considered that with your head stuck in the clouds, you'll never realize how far you're falling until you hit the ground, and that's the true risk of a dreamer."

Abruptly, Kerry stood up and brushed a few loose grains of sand from her blue T-shirt. "You may be right, and the very thought terrifies me, that everything I've worked for may all be for nothing. Still, I'm going to keep dreaming, because dreams are sometimes all we have to live for. And in order to have dreams, you have to believe in the beautiful things, in love and hope and light. If we're all doomed to failure as you say, then that's all we have, the one thing that will never leave us. That's what gives us life, something you've been sorely lacking for two years. And if you still believe dreams are worthless, then ask yourself this: would you rather have a life filled with dreams or none at all?"

"How do I know the difference?" asked Syrena, the amethyst and ocher orbs in her eyes seemingly to kindle with a hidden spark.

"One is the life you're living, and one is the life you've always wanted."

* * *

As Rosalie glided over the pastel, picturesque rooftops of San Francisco, she was absolutely certain she would have cried without the blistering wind stinging her eyes and greedily absorbing the slightest drop of moisture they contained. And for this, Rosalie was grateful, for crying was assuredly a sign of weakness, one she couldn't display if she had any hope of making it through the day alive. By abandoning WordGirl, she had initiated a very dangerous game, one that may very well cost her own life, but as she had repeated to herself over and over again, her betrayal was not only in her best interests, but also ultimately in WordGirl's. After all, who would Jesus be if Judas had not betrayed him? Despite her faults, Rosalie had a fierce, if not reckless determination, and she firmly resolved to exact her vengeance, even if it ended up throttling her first.

Miss Power's spaceship was just as Rosalie remembered it from the movie, albeit for the canopy of fallen leaves and twigs scattered on the top as the intergalactic vehicle lay seemingly abandoned in the forest were it resided. Despite the tranquil setting and the delicate rays of sunlight brushing its blue and white structure, it had a sinister aura, like a hunter just moments away from setting the woodland ablaze. Rosalie was about to inquire how the spaceship had arrived in this dimension, but Miss Power, who seemed to possess the terrifying ability of knowing the young girl's thoughts, gave her a baleful, maniacal glance, and with a gulp, Rosalie fearfully held her tongue, deciding some questions were best left unanswered.

Miss Power, none too gently, set Rosalie down upon the muddy earth, and the girl wrinkled her nose in disgust as the foul muck tainted her silver platform sandals. With a slight nod from his mistress, Gigglecheeks went ahead, dragging an unconscious Mr. Big in his wake. Glancing warily at Rosalie, Miss Power hovered several inches over her, as if to assert her superiority, a gesture Rosalie did not fail to notice. She smirked; already, the woman felt as if her authority was in question. Tilting her head up as if in an assumption of vanity, Rosalie wordlessly proceeded to the entrance, with Miss Power practically breathing down her neck as she hovered just inches behind. Several times, Rosalie looked over her shoulder nervously, expecting her hair to catch on fire with the intensity of Miss Power's stare.

With a touch of Miss Power's hand upon the DNA scanner, the door melted away into oblivion to reveal the alien dictator's lair.

Surprisingly, it was far cozier than Rosalie had expected. The room was tastefully decorated with oriental rugs and high-arched chairs with gently sloping curves, reminding Rosalie of a blend between the Victorian Renaissance Eras. Lamps placed periodically around the room cast a warm orange glow over a series of paintings depicting a tranquil countryside with a dazzling crystal empire, illuminated by the light of a white sun, smaller than the one that shone upon Earth. The brushwork was immaculate, with even the tiniest, most insignificant details, such as the individual blades of grass, painted in such perfect detail that it almost seemed to be a portal looking in upon a fairytale world. But most impressive to Rosalie were the endless shelves of books lining the walls, stretching to infinity. In amazement, Rosalie walked past the selves in awe, her eyes set aglow with the wonder of a child. She lightly brushed her hands across the worn spines of thick volumes bound in velvet of a myriad of colors. As her fingertips made contact with the books, she could hear snatches of their story, as all passionate readers have the innate ability to do. The whispered, disjointed phrases ranged from inspiring to frightening but wondrous all the same; they seemed to contain a hidden mystical power, fearsome yet enchanting. Many of the titles were written in a loopy, golden script of languages Rosalie didn't understand, but nestled in the foreign tomes there lay some of Earth's finest classics.

"A Tale of Two Cities?" asked Rosalie dubiously as she read the title. Somehow, Miss Power's malevolent nature had not exactly supplemented the image of a woman who enjoyed sentimental romance novels of the 18th century.

"I find the irony of Sydney never being able to find happiness, with or without Lucie's love, most amusing," she replied tersely, though not without a hint of amusement.

I always believed his sacrifice was noble, Rosalie thought, but she held her tongue. She had already pushed Miss Power's patience farther than necessary; another disagreement could very well push her over the edge of tolerance.

Wanting to change the subject, Rosalie asked with as much politeness and respect as one could put in a sentence, "May I have a glass of chocolate milk, please?"

Surprisingly, Miss Power's eyes instantly grew wide, not with indignance, but with a much more radically improbable emotion: fear.

"That is, if you don't mind," Rosalie added quickly, hoping not to appear too demanding.

At this, Miss Power seemed to gain more of her regular composure, though not by much. "Yes, of-of course. Just wait here, Miss Winters." And with that, Miss Power fled from the room, looking utterly unhinged.

Rosalie found the alien's peculiar behavior slightly unnerving, but she pushed her suspicion aside. She gingerly sat down as if in fear that the chair would sprout fangs and bite her. Seeking some form of comfort, Rosalie grasped her familiar clockwork angel, which dangled from a thin gold chain around her neck. In the pressing silence, Rosalie could faintly hear the metallic whirling of the gears turning inside its brass body. The angel had been given to Rosalie by her grandmother in the weeks leading up to her death, and she had always thought of the trinket as a constant reminder of her grandmother's watchful protection with all the hosts and powers of Heaven. Rosalie wondered what her grandmother was thinking now, as she witnessed firsthand the dreadful acts of her beloved granddaughter's betrayal, not only to her friends, but to the entire human race as well. Rosalie let the tears trickle down her cheeks like rain as she tried to steer her mind away from such wretched thoughts. Looking around the room in desperation for some sort of distraction, her gaze latched once more upon the series of paintings lining the eastern wall.

The first thing that struck Rosalie was that all seven paintings depicted the same unperturbed countryside with a crystal empire in the distance, although each was starkly different from its neighbor. The first was perfectly serene, but the remaining six portrayed horrendous tragedies. Fearsome hurricanes and earthquakes rent the glade apart, swirling shadows of darkness encroached the land, the sun crashed to the earth, crimson fire rained down from the sky, and gruesome demons rose from the smoldering cinders and seemed to violently tear at the canvas as if in a desire for release from their artistic prison. The final painting showed the valley in a sickly, washed-out white, the color of death, with the number 122,112 superimposed with blood.

"The Seven Grievances of Lexicon," said a sudden voice behind her. Startled half out of her wits, Rosalie turned around to see Miss Power just inches behind her, holding the glass of chocolate milk she had requested. Smirking at Rosalie's alarm, Miss Power handed the glass to Rosalie, taking extra care to not let a single drop spill onto her hand.

"The Seven Grievances of Lexicon," Miss Power repeated. "Similar to the Ten Plagues from the Old Testament. This series of paintings depicted the prophesized apocalypse of Planet Lexicon." Miss Power then proceeded to recite a poem with the nonchalance of one relating a well-known nursery rhyme, although this particular poem containing a dark, sinister edge certainly not meant to ease the troubled hearts of small children:

_When innocence shall surely break_

_When skies and lakes and valleys quake_

_When darkness rules both day and night_

_When Asteria falls from her Heavenly might_

_When daybreak brings the blood-red rain_

_When those entombed shall rise again_

_The Angel of Time grieves from her holy throne_

_And Lexicon shall be no more_

"The prophecy was foretold by Litlith, the eldest of Lexicon's Seven Sages," continued Miss Power in a blasé manner, as if speaking of a planet's destruction was just as natural as relaying the morning's weather report. "It was spoken in the 122,112 lunar cycle, at the very dawn of Lexicon's civilization. However, the actual date of the apocalypse is unknown, causing many wild speculations, not unlike your prediction of doomsday in December of this year." (Note: This story takes place in the summer of 2012.)

"But wait, people there don't actually take this seriously, do they?" Rosalie thought about the dozens of movies made about the supposed end of the world. Never before had she taken them seriously; it was more of a laugh than anything else. "It's like the prediction of the world ending in December because the Mayan calendar ends—"

At this, Miss Power burst into – Rosalie could hardly believe it – a laugh. The humane expression magically softened her cold and oppressive demeanor, and for the first time while in her presence, Rosalie actually felt wonderfully at ease. Meandering to the furthest bookshelf, Miss Power returned with a worn, faded parchment of the Mayan calendar, its rich, earthy hues paled and drained from the harshness of the shining sun. Nothing Rosalie had seen had ever looked so devoid of life, so dead.

"During the time of the Mayans, Lexicon had a surprising amount of interaction with Planet Earth, although the human race was viewed more as an inferior plaything than anything else. There was one man by the name of Mortmain Solon, completely mad, I tell you, who came to Earth and decided to play a practical joke and tell the Mayans of a prophesized end of days. The Mayans, in their barbaric naivety, went absolutely ballistic, and the Lexiconians got a real kick out of it. So don't worry, you're precious planet isn't going to burst into flame in six months, although, when I assert my full control of this pitiful world, there's no telling what could happen."

Suddenly, the once light, welcoming mood turned dreadfully sinister. "Now, enough chitchat, Miss Winters," Miss Power said in a tone that meant serious business. "I've waited eleven years to see my sister's blood leak into my veins, eleven years too long. You claim to know of a way to defeat my sister?"

"I do." There was no hesitation in Rosalie's voice.

"Can you ensure its success?"

"'History is written by the victors,'" Rosalie replied, quoting a famous proverb. "I am writing this story. We have already won."

* * *

"Are you sure you're not in any serious pain?" asked Jenny for the millionth time. Since no one in attendance had any medical experience, somehow, the task of caring for Two-Brains had fallen to Jenny. A combination of two raids on the medicine cabinet, four seasons of Grey's Anatomy, and a liberal amount of bandages had aided the 14-year-old, but truly, she had been able to do other than tightly binding up his torso with gauze and making a bowl of hot soup.

"I've told you before, Jenny, Miss Power just likes to put on a show, nothing more. Besides, between the four painkillers you shoved down my throat, I don't think a hit to the chest from a freight train could faze me. There's nothing wrong, and I don't want you to worry about me anymore."

At this, Jenny went ballistic. "Nothing wrong with you!? My God, you almost died, and you don't think that's, oh, I don't know, kind of a big deal!?"

Two-Brains laughed. "If my side didn't hurt like hell, I'd say you were the one Miss Power kicked in the chest."

"Aha! So you admit to the pain!"

"Okay fine, maybe it does hurt, but it's pain I can deal with. Seriously, Jenny, you don't have to be my Florence Nightingale. You can go now."

"No," Jenny replied resolutely. "I'm staying." There was something in her tone that implied a far greater connotation than simply staying by his bedsides.

"You know, it's terrifying when you say things like that."

Jenny's eyes grew wide in confusion. "What's that supposed to mean?" she asked defensively.

"Jenny, I want you to listen to me," Two-Brains said with a sudden fierceness. "I want you to promise me that I won't matter to you anymore. I want you to promise that if I die tomorrow, you'll cry a little, comfort your friends, and move on with your life as if you never knew me."

Jenny backed away in horror, affronted, with tears streaming from her eyes. "That's a horrible thing to say! Why do you always have to be so cruel to yourself?"

It was Two-Brains' turn to be confused. "What do you mean?"

"You're always blaming yourself for something," said Jenny in hysteria, her blubbering tears garbling up her words into a slur of incoherence. "It's like you can't stand yourself, like you hate yourself. It's almost as if you… you want yourself to die."

Quietly, as if in shame, the doctor replied, "And maybe that wouldn't be such a bad thing."

"But why?!" Jenny screamed. "Why?! Why must you despise yourself so much?"

"Because I'm a despicable man. For two years, I've been eternally imprisoned in my own body; it's enough to drive me into madness. It hurts so much, Jenny, that anything is better than the life I live."

This drove Jenny over the edge. Knees shaking, she collapsed to floor, curled into a ball, and screamed. Two-Brains watched her in horror, not knowing what to do. Finally, when her high-pitch wails descended into tiny, hiccupping sobs, Jenny felt the warm, comforting security of two arms as she was lifted from the floor, only to be replaced with the soft down of the woven quilt as she was gently laid onto the couch.

It seemed that all the horrible, traumatizing ordeals of the day had finally caught up with Jenny. Unwillingly, she felt her eyelids flutter into blackness as exhaustion began to drag her into the world of dreams. Jenny willingly surrendered, happy not to have to fight anymore, to find an escape from strange emotions she didn't understand. Just as she was about to lose consciousness entirely, she found, against her bidding, her lips forming the words, "If that's true, then why haven't you killed yourself?"

Two-Brains waited until Jenny was fully asleep before replying, "Maybe I've finally found something worth living for."

* * *

Gazing at the shining diamond moon wrapped in the night's velvet, the Lexiconian quietly sang a sweet Lexiconian melody to herself. The truth was that, despite contrary belief, she could sing, and quite well for that matter, just not in English. Although she passionately loved all languages, English was simply too guttural and discordant to ever be considered melodious, whereas the Lexiconian syllables of the tender lullaby, laced with an immaculate sense of power, caressed her throat lovingly, providing a certain sense of home.

As always, the girl's heart seemed to skip a beat at the thought of her home planet. Searching the stars, she imagined that the star resting in the boughs of the nearest palm tree was not a simple star, but in fact her beloved Planet Lexicon, or maybe it was the slightly reddish star in the shadow of the moon. WordGirl closed her eyes, and in her mind, she traced a new pattern of constellations, with each connected line outlining a path guiding her closer and closer to home. She felt her heart expand in her chest as delicate fingers crafted from glittering ice played a bitter sweet melody of… was it homesickness?

No, that wasn't the correct word. When WordGirl pictured home, she saw in her mind's eye not a remote, distant planet of nameless, faceless strangers, but the cozy home of the Botsfords, surrounded by the family she was never meant to have. No, she didn't yearn for Lexicon out of a desire for her true home; it was something deeper than that. In a way, WordGirl really wanted to know if she had made the right choice by climbing aboard that spaceship all those years ago. If she had stayed, would she be happier? Would she be loved in the same way, or even be loved at all? Somewhere in the vast expanse of the galaxy, WordGirl liked to imagine that there were two people that would love her. Not Becky Botsford or WordGirl, but both of them, fully and completely.

The frigid draft of air from the window stung bitterly at WordGirl's tears. Maybe the pain wouldn't hurt as much if she had a piece of her home to cling to, like a photo or a last message from her birth parents, a meager basis upon which to construct a lifetime of imaginings about a life she never had. Reflexively, her fingers delicately traced the jagged lines of the star-shaped scar adorning her right wrist, the only physical emblem of her heritage she had, a mark that seemingly all Lexiconians possessed, but WordGirl could hardly be certain. Huggy refused to tell her anything beyond the bare minimum about Lexicon, and honestly, WordGirl couldn't blame him. He had family, friends, people he loved there; to unearth those memories would be like tearing apart a scar only to damage a wound that would never fully heal.

And of course, WordGirl, who had often followed this specific train of thought too many times to count, knew what would come next. She would begin to envision all the countless, impossible dreams of Lexicon. She would fix the spaceship, rise past her wildest imaginings as she saw the swirling yellow planet with the red star like a lighthouse beacon guiding her…

No, stop this, an annoying voice of reason reprimanded. You've been over this a million times. There's simply no way you can fix the ship. You're staying here, with everyone you love, and that's that. Don't go getting your hopes up only to have them come crashing down.

But I'll go back someday, a defiant voice vowed. I just have to. Someday…

WordGirl's musings were suddenly interrupted as her keen ears picked up the slightest creaking of a floorboard. Whirling around in alarm, she saw it was only Tobey, clad in neon blue pajamas adorned with tiny robots.

"What are you doing here, Tobey?" demanded WordGirl sassily.

"I was simply wondering," the boy genius replied in that snobbish British accent of his, "what was the source of that lovely music that I heard. Where you listening to the radio?"

"Actually," said WordGirl proudly, eager to snatch up the opportunity to spite him. "I was the one singing."

"Y-you?" he spluttered. "But you can't sing! Screech like a cat having its guts gouged out, yes, but you can't sing to save your life!"

Disgruntled by insult, WordGirl delicately cleared her throat and sang the last chorus of the song.

"Now do you believe me?"

"That was… wow."

Turning her head back to the window, WordGirl replied disdainfully, "I would have thought that someone of your intellect would be able to think of some other adjective than simply 'wow.'"

"You think I'm intelligent?" asked Tobey gleefully.

"No… well, yes… That's not what I meant!" shouted WordGirl. Taking a deep breath, she said in an icy tone, "Tobey, if you don't have anything better to do than mocking my singing ability, I suggest that you go away before throw a brick at your overstuffed head."

Ignoring the hurtful jab, Tobey instead stated firmly, "That was Lexiconian."

"You must be an idiot if you can't recognize your own language, Tobey," WordGirl mocked. "I'll repeat it again, if you'd like: go away."

"Look, I get it if you don't want to talk about it. It must be a touchy subject for—" his words trailed off as he approached the superheroine and could more closely examine her face in the resplendent light of the moon. "Are you… crying?"

"No," WordGirl replied automatically and defensively as she titled her head in such a way so that a screen of glossy black hair concealed her face from view.

Tobey watched his beloved in silence, marveling at the way the moon formed a glistening halo, illuminating the girl's face. And yet, she looked so weak and broken, yet never more desirable. It was then that Two-Brain's words floated into his mind: You want to break her until she loves you, but what good will she be then? But now was no time to listen to the feeble words of a madman, not when he was so close to attaining his happiness.

She could hear the steady pace of his breathing in stark contrast with the furious pounding of his heart, and WordGirl knew without a doubt what he was thinking, what he desired to do. Normally, she would have fought him off until he surrendered, but now, shadowy tendrils of darkness kept her rooted in place. Maybe this time, if she let him close enough to satisfy his desires only to yank it all away, maybe it would finally take root in his heart the reality that she unconditionally and irrevocably hated him and would never love him.

But then again, was there truly a difference?

Tentatively, Tobey inched closer and closer to WordGirl, and yet she remained perfectly motionless, as if the slightest movement would cause her to shatter like a china doll. Hand shaking with an uncontrollable desire, Tobey pushed back the locks of hair shielding her face; her muscles tensed upon contact, yet she didn't pull away. Her eyes were closed as tears of starlight trickled onto Tobey's outstretched hand. He was so close; the ecstasy was overwhelming.

Suddenly, the magic of the moment shattered as WordGirl moaned in anguish, "Please, Tobey, don't. I can't bear it."

Tobey was thrown back in shock as if repelled by an invisible force field.

"I have to go," WordGirl whispered, her pride refusing to let Tobey see her cry.

"No!" said Tobey, with more force than intended. "I can't take it anymore! You have to stay!" The boy roughly grabbed WordGirl by the wrist, pressing down forcefully upon the star-shaped scar.

**PREPARE FOR A GLARING HARRY POTTER RIP-OFF.**

At once, WordGirl cried out in pain as she collapsed to the floor. Tobey watched in horror as the scar pulsated a brilliant gold, uncertain as to what to do. Normally, he would have seized this opportunity to comfort her, but not today. He was tired of constantly pleading for her love; he wanted her to come to him, to beg for his devotion, not the other way around. There seemed to be no other option: He would have to take her love by force.

"I'm sorry to have to do this, darling," said Tobey as he proceeded for the door while WordGirl's screams continued to resonate. "But I'll do anything to make you mine." **(And no, not in THAT way!)**

* * *

"Come on, come on, come on!" Rosalie muttered frantically to herself as she hurriedly pulled books at random from their respective shelves. "In the movies, isn't it always hidden behind a secret latch behind a certain book?" Rosalie had spent the past two hours searching for the one weapon that could save herself from Miss Power. Now that she confirmed Miss Power was indeed Lexiconian, one didn't have to strain oneself to decipher her weakness.

Due to her past experience in bypassing the minefield of creaking boards to obtain a midnight snack, Rosalie was refined in the art of stealth, but never before had so much importance weighed upon her success. She felt every particle in her body stretched so taunt that the slightest movement would cause her to snap. She constantly strained her ears for the faint whoosh that would herald Miss Power's return and her own impending doom. Something about the malicious gleam in the alien's eyes as Rosalie relayed her plan set her nerves extremely on edge. Miss Power had disappeared into the depths of her spaceship for far too long—

**WE INTERRUPT THIS FANFICTION TO PRESENT 15 SECONDS OF RANDOMNESS FROM VEGGIETALES**

Mr. Lunt: "...And then the egg hatched, and turned into a chicken who flew across the sea—"

Bob: "Uh, chickens can't fly."

Mr. Lunt: "Okay then. The egg hatched, and turned into a chicken who swam across the sea—"

Bob: "Chickens can't swim either."

Mr. Lunt: "Well, what CAN chickens do?!"

Larry: "They can turn into nuggets!"

Bob: *rolls eyes*

Mr. Lunt: "And then the egg hatched, and turned into a 12-pack of nuggets who sailed across the ocean in a refrigerated cargo ship..."

This program was brought to you by Phil the Pink-Striped Hippo. Juggling onions while ridding a purple unicycle and singing Jingle Bells since 3016.

"Stop the insanity!" Rosalie screamed. "Seriously, couldn't you have done that in someone else's serious scene?"

**Sorry, but I haven't made a single joke all chapter!**

"Don't you realize you've completely destroyed the mysterious mood of this scene? How do you expect me to get back on track now?"

Suddenly, a terrified scream, abruptly cut off by the sickening crack of bone, shattered the silence.

**You're welcome.**

Rosalie stood petrified in the library, uncertain as to what to do. There was absolutely no way she would simply stand by while there was danger; that kind of cowardice was WordGirl's job. Of course, however, no one walked straight into battle unarmed. Surprised, Rosalie found that the gun she had carried was nowhere to be found, so instead, she cast her gaze around the library in search of anything that could be used as a weapon. Her eyes latched onto the iron poker with its point white-hot from the blaze as it leaned against the fireplace. It was far too scalding for Rosalie to hold; it fumbled wildly in her hands, the rod veering off course until it crashed with a resonating clang into the seventh painting depicting the Lexiconian apocalypse. The force was enough that the painting swung forward upon a pair of unseen hinges to reveal a padlocked safe with a number code.

Astonished, Rosalie's eyes swiveled back and forth between the safe and the numbers 122,112 and the safe again.

It couldn't be that easy.

But it was.

Rosalie typed in the numbers 122,112, and sure enough, the safe swung upon with a click to reveal a small, carved wooden box giving off an ominous crimson pulsating glow.

Bingo.

Tucking the small package in her pocket, Rosalie cautiously descended the stairs from which the terrifying scream originated, this time choosing to handle the iron-poker with a scrap of fabric from her dress. A profound darkness coated her eyes, a darkness far more substantial than the simple absence of light. It snaked its way into her skin and gave her the constant impression of an ominous being of shadow walking directly behind her. Fearfully, she tightened her grip upon the iron poker until the searing heat burned the palms of her hands, but she did not relent until she reached the door at the far end of a seemingly endless corridor.

Upon reaching the door, Rosalie pressed her ear to the chilled, dank wood as she repressed the urge to wretch from the dank, stale, rotting air at swirled around her. Clearly, the air here had not been breathed for quite some time, and it gave off the sensation of impending death. Rosalie could easily hear the muffled shouting of not one, but two people in the room.

_You might want to plan on going in there some time this century_, the annoying voice inside Rosalie's head mocked.

Rosalie readjusted her grip on the poker until the piercing tip was positioned directly at the doorknob. The 13-year-old gulped, not sure if continuing inside was the best course of action.

_Any day now._

_Right_, Rosalie told herself. She had to look at the bigger perspective. The very fate of the world was resting upon her shoulders. A noble cause for her actions. And what could the consequences of her actions be?

Death.

But what was so terrible about that?

Was it the fear of pain? But surely the pain was not interminable; mostly likely, her suffering would only be for a few minutes at most. Was it losing everything and everyone she loved? But she wouldn't miss any of that upon death, for you didn't feel anything upon dying. Was it fear of the afterlife? Well, considering her abysmal track record, there wasn't much Rosalie could do to change that.

And then it hit her.

She wasn't afraid to die.

And there is nothing more ruthless than a person who does not fear death.

With a loud battle cry that startled even her, Rosalie charged the door, wincing as jagged shards of wood rained down upon her as she tumbled rather ungracefully into the gruesome scene.

In her dazed sense of horror, sounds and images of the scene bombarded Rosalie's mind in a disjointed blur. Mr. Big bound with rope and severely bleeding from the head. Miss Power ranting with maniacal anger about something that involved revealing the location of a cage. A stream of blood cascading down Miss Power's wrist where a star-shaped scar gleamed a frightening crimson. The flash of Rosalie's gun as it rose in a spiraling silver arch. The terrified pleading in Mr. Big's eyes as he met her gaze. And for that very moment, Rosalie was not peering into the eyes of the evil business man but into those of her brother, Jacob, just as he was about to be murdered by a Chicago gang. And in that instant, all the pieces fell into place with a frightening reality.

Mr. Big was going to die.

At the crack of the gun, Rosalie ran like hell.

* * *

**This chapter carried some mixed feelings for me. I felt like some scenes where done better than others, and that first scene didn't go quite where I intended. I honestly might have to rewrite one or two of these if I come up with a better idea. Overall, it seemed weaker than the previous one. What do you guys think?**

**Later today, I'm going to be putting up some polls (Can I put up multiple polls simultaneously? I guess I'll find out.) on my profile page, asking your opinions on each of the four characters. I'd really appreciate it if you voted!**

**As for the whole Mayan apocalypse thing, I just randomly added it in there simply because I thought I'd be hilarious if the Lexiconians were trolling us this entire time. :D**

**Expect Chapter 10 (Gosh, this story is going to be far longer than I intended) next Monday. So long for now!**

**Love to all,**

**Bella**

**P.S. I'm just happy I finished this particularly gruesome chapter before my Confirmation retreat tomorrow, where they are surely going to brainwash me with eight hours of horrifying cheerfulness. I don't know how I'll survive...**


	10. A Secret Lined in Silver

**Hello everyone! So, over the course of this week, I wrote an essay for Catholic Schools Week (And read it aloud to the entire school at mass yesterday. Yikes!), suffered a major case of writer's block, and still managed to post this chapter on time. I'm feeling rather proud of myself!**

* * *

"What was there to be gained by fighting the most evil wizard who has ever existed?" said Black, with a terrible fury in his face. "Only innocent lives, Peter!"

"You don't understand!" whined Pettigrew. "He would have killed me, Sirius!"

"THEN YOU SHOULD HAVE DIED!" roared Black. "DIED RATHER THAN BETRAY YOUR FRIENDS, AS WE WOULD HAVE DONE FOR YOU!"

― J.K. Rowling,_ Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban_

* * *

Then one of the twelve, whose name was Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, "What will you give me if I deliver him over to you?" And they paid him thirty pieces of silver. And from that moment he sought an opportunity to betray him.

- Matthew 26:14-16

* * *

The events of the following morning were a subdued, awkward affair. Clearly, emotions had been running high that night, and everyone had either done or said something over the course of the evening that in retrospect they sorely regretted but were too embarrassed to acknowledge. Each of them engaged in their own solidary activities, while the suffocating weight of words unspoken choked their tongues. Eventually, however, each was soon compelled by a driving, uniting force to gather in the living room, where they huddled together in silence for what seemed to them to be an interminable amount of time. Mind you, they were still alone, locked away amidst walls of confinement, but the knowledge that there was someone just beyond that wall was a reassuring comfort. This behavior continued well into the afternoon, at least until they were greeted via a furious pounding on the front door by an unexpected visitor.

At once, everyone looked toward the origin of the noise with alarm. Of course, it could merely be one of the Winters' acquaintances, but given their recent horrible ordeals, everyone present had every right to be paranoid.

"Miss Power wouldn't bother with simply knocking on the door," Kerry rationalized. "Knocking down the door, surely, but she's far too ruthless to pay much heed to such pleasantries." This made perfect sense, and yet it did little to soothe the mounting apprehension as the knocking continued with increasing urgency.

Finally, it was Syrena who had mustered up the courage to open the door. The remaining people watched with baited breath as Syrena's hand closed upon the shiny doorknob and the door swung open like a theatre curtain rising to begin a play to reveal the very last person anyone expected to see again.

"Rosalie!" was the unanimous acclimation of surprise throughout the room.

She was a sorry sight to see. Twigs and leaves had somehow weaved themselves into her tangled net of hair. Her arms and face were severely scratched like the jagged lashes of a fearsome creature's talons, though they were actually due to gnarled branches tearing at her skin as if in an attempt to lock her in their embrace. Her once flawless complexion was now caked with mud and dried blood, most likely her own. Her stiffened muscles were trembling with fear and anxiety, and it appeared that drawing breath caused her great physical pain. Despite the mild summer breeze, she was trembling violently as the pale fluorescent light fixated above the porch illuminated her sorry form. Her eyes quivered with a profound anguish and probably would have been trickling tears if they had not already been spent on her journey here. She was so broken and hopeless, and despite the crushing silence, she seemed to be screaming, begging for mercy. She was the face of a girl who had lost everything, an angel fallen from grace.

She was the face of being utterly alone.

Syrena was the first to recover from the shock of Rosalie's dramatic reappearance. With absolutely no pity in her voice, she demanded with an overbearing fury, "You'd better have a good reason why I shouldn't slam this door in your treacherous, back-stabbing face, Rosalie Winters. A very good reason."

Half an hour later, the situation had improved, but not by much. Only with the compassion of Jenny and Kerry were they able to coax the shell-shocked girl onto the couch, where they nearly buried her frozen body with an assortment of blankets and quilts. However, despite the assuredly suffocating warmth, Rosalie still shivered with a more profound chill than the temperature. She did not speak; instead, she stared at the adjoining wall blankly, her eyes dull and glazed over like a piece of tarnished silverware that lost its shine. No one, not even Syrena, dared asked Rosalie anything; she was regarded warily, like a temporarily docile predatory that would lash out at a moment's notice.

"Here, Rosalie," said Jenny gently as she entered the room with a steaming mug in her hands. "It's tea."

When Rosalie did not respond, Jenny set the mug down upon the coffee table with a heavy clunk. Rosalie gave a frightened start at the noise and then pulled the blankets around her a little tighter. Clutching the steaming mug, however, seemed to bring the girl to her senses, and it was then that she began to recount her tale.

"You… you first have to understand that I was afraid," Rosalie began, interjecting her speech with gulping, pitiful sobs. "She was going to kill us all, and I knew I needed to do something, anything to buy more time. So I made the deal, and I began to formulate a plan. She took me to her spaceship and… I didn't know where I was, I couldn't run, I had to say something. I… I confessed that Lexonite is WordGirl's weakness and that with it she would be assured victory while defeating WordGirl in the most humiliating way possible. She left me alone for a few hours afterwards, and after a while, I was suspicious. I followed her down a corridor, and when I opened the door… I saw… I saw Miss Power torturing Mr. Big to find the location of the Lexonite cage he used on WordGirl two years ago. She… she had my gun; I don't know how she got it. She raised it at Mr. Big's head… and for a moment, I didn't see him but my brother, Jacob, just as he was about to be murdered. I couldn't bear to watch what happened next, so I ran, harder and faster than I ever have in my life. I ran for hours and never stopped, telling myself that if I stopped even for the slightest moment that she would catch me and I would die. I ran for miles until I eventually made my way here."

After a brief pause, Jenny asked, "That moment when you found out what Miss Power was doing… you knew that running away would put your life in danger. So why did you?"

"All my life, I've been afraid of dying," replied Rosalie. "But in that fleeting moment when I saw my brother, I wasn't afraid anymore. In a way, I was half hoping that I wouldn't have to fight anymore and I would die."

"Wait, you said that you had no idea where Miss Power's spaceship was located," said Kerry. "So how did you know how to get back here?"

"M-my clockwork angel," Rosalie replied, her fingers fumbling to remove the pendant from her neck. "I know it sounds crazy, but as I was running, I felt the angel pull at the gold chain, and its wings unfurled to hover just in front of my heart. It always flew ahead of me, shining a brilliant gold, and my angel led me home."

"Well, at least we've confirmed you're a coward as well as a nutcase," Syrena remarked.

"Says the girl who can turn into a wolf at will," Kerry retorted. "Honestly, compared to what you and I can do, having a magic clockwork angel isn't such a far stretch."

"Is the three-day duel still valid?" asked WordGirl. "After all, the matter of my identity is solved since you're here, and Mr. Big is…"

"He's not dead," Rosalie replied matter-of-factly. "Miss Power would severely injure him, but never kill him. He didn't surrender the cage's location, but he will soon, if he hasn't already. Besides, now that I'm gone, he's the only thing she can hold over your head, WordGirl. If you want to save his life, you have to accept the duel."

WordGirl sighed. "We'll have to discus this further. Rosalie…" Suddenly, a malicious idea came to her. "Hey, Amazing Rope Guy," the superhero said in an overly patronizing voice, "would you mind escorting Rosalie to the bathroom so she can wash up? You can even show her some of your, er, amazing rope tricks on the way." WordGirl's beaming smile was practically screaming, "Just do it!"

At once, the neglected villain instantly jumped at the opportunity to display his talent. "Of course! I'll show you this awesome rope trick I just learned. I'll tie this coil of rope so that it looks like there are two circles instead of one! Isn't that amazing!?"

Rosalie's last thought as she witnessed the pathetic villain accidently tie his hands together was how much she'd like to take that rope and slip it around a certain superhero's neck.

* * *

Two hours, three showers, and 47 torturous rope tricks later, Rosalie gratefully sank into the comfort of her pink beanbag while her familiar room swaddled her in a welcome sense of security and blissful silence. Now that the initial shock of her ordeal had worn off and Rosalie could now think clearly, she began to plan her next course of action. And of course, one does not do so without first acquiring adequate information. She wasn't about to swear allegiance to either side, not just yet. Rosalie was not primarily driven by her conscience; certain expectations and a personal code of ethics, yes, but she didn't make decisions based on such an inconsistent, meager philosophy like the concept of good and evil. No, Rosalie, who knew she was the turning point in all of this, would support the side that deserved to win. And the best way to determine that was to learn of the motives and plans of both. Rosalie already was well informed with Miss Power's plans, seeing that she had devised them, but WordGirl's plans were still an enigma.

Faintly, Rosalie could hear the muffled speech of several people downstairs, but try as she might, she could not make out any words. Rosalie tried to open the door so as to quietly trek downstairs, but she found the door locked from the outside. She could hardly be surprised: to them, Rosalie was a traitor, and traitors must be handled with the utmost caution.

Rosalie looked around her room, trying to find some way to allow her to eavesdrop on the others while remaining unseen. Then, it hit her.

Rosalie's mansion was quite old, dating back to the late 1800's. During that time, it was customary for servants to send food and drink from the kitchen to upper floors by means of a pulley system. Obviously, more conventional methods were used now, but fortunately, the pulleys had never been blocked off, specifically the one tucked away in the back corner of Rosalie's room.

It was terribly cramped, but Rosalie just managed to squeeze herself into the tiny compartment. Inside, it reeked of neglect as an army of cobwebs snatched at her hair like a many-clawed beast. Blindly, Rosalie located the ropes of the pulley and so began her descent. Rosalie winced at the slight screeching of the metal platform as it grated against the rusting shaft. Something scuttled across her foot in the dank, derelict, darkness, and the girl had to bite her tongue to keep from screaming, even as the well of blood filled her mouth from the puncture. Finally, with the bitter taste of rust still in her mouth, Rosalie stopped the pulley. Voices wafted upward like smoke, straight to Rosalie's expectant ears.

"…can't leave him to die," Jenny said.

"And sending WordGirl in there alone will be like sentencing her to the slaughterhouse!" retorted Syrena. "Either way, someone's going to die, and I don't know about you guys, but I think a superhero is a bit more deserving of life than that crooked business man."

"And we're all just choosing to believe Rosalie is telling the truth in the first place?" asked Kerry. "After all, she was working for Miss Power just a few hours ago; she could just be feeding us lies to throw us off track of what she's really planning."

"Shh, Kerry, Bella didn't want you to say that!" Jenny reprimanded. "You were supposed to be memorizing your lines during Rosalie's scene! Didn't you read the script?"

"Her script is under this pizza box!" exclaimed Syrena as she held up the pages drenched in tomato sauce.

"Oh, quit your whining," said Kerry. "Besides, this story is going to end in a few chapters, and then we'll all be stuffed away in the used-up character cardboard box of doom."

"Actually, I'm making an appearance in Bella's upcoming trilogy," Syrena declared proudly.

For Lexicon's sake, Syrena! I told you not to read the script!

"It's your own fault!" Syrena retorted. "That'll teach you to not write fanfiction ideas in English class!" (Guilty as charged. :D)

"Can we please get back to that serious conversation we were having about a man's life, a traitor's fate, and an alien dictator trying to destroy the planet?" asked WordGirl.

"Fine, fine, fine," muttered Jenny. "Way to kill the little humor in this story."

"So what are we going to do about WordGirl's fight with Miss Power?" asked Two-Brains. "You're going to save Mr. Big, right WordGirl?"

Her response was immediate. "I'm sorry, but I don't think I can. There's no way I can face Miss Power alone. He's as good as dead, if he isn't already."

Inside her hidden alcove, Rosalie was fuming. WordGirl was just going to abandon him so she could save her own skin? She wasn't even going to try? What ever happened to that footnote of being a hero that said 'save people's lives'? As Rosalie made her way upward to her room, the malicious gears in her head were already turning, plotting a devious way to teach the hero – no, the coward – a lesson she'd never forget.

But how to go about it?

Rosalie had four lethal weapons at her disposal: a pouch of silver coins from her family's treasury, a chunk of bone fide Lexonite, a deadly secret, and mostly importantly, the power of the pen. One given, one taken, one cursed, and one blessed.

Promptly, Rosalie turned to her bookshelf in search of one of her classic favorites. Turning the pages of her well-worn copy of _Ironside: A Modern Tale of Faerie,_ Rosalie read aloud the quote she was looking for:

_"The more powerful you become, the more others will find ways to master you. They'll do it through those you love and those you hate. They will find the bit and the bridle that fits your mouth and will make you yield."_

Rosalie sneered. She had found the bridle.

* * *

Hours passed, the sun set, and soon, Rosalie heard a demanding knock at her door. It instantly swung open to reveal Tobey, holding a plate of chicken, rice, and string beans in one hand and a glass of water in the other.

"Dinner," Tobey announced gruffly, handing her the food all without maintaining eye contact.

Rosalie muttered her thanks. "It seems awfully imprudent for me to be locked away like a petty criminal in my own home," she said, trying to mimic Tobey's snobbish, prideful voice, which was not too far a stretch seeing as she possessed both attributes herself. "I provide them with valuable information, and I am repaid with this."

Rosalie's tirade seemed to earn Tobey's sympathy. "Yes, it's quite unfair for you, isn't it. However, you must look at the situation from their perspective. You're a traitor, Rosalie Winters. You sided with Miss Power—"

"And I still do," Rosalie declared defiantly. "And I also know that in your heart, you know I am right to do so. From the first time I saw you on TV, I knew we were very much alike. We both have our own agenda and will go to great extremes to see our desires come to fruition. For years, you have struggled as to which side of the balance you belong to, and I will be the first to tell you that there is no shame as to what you feel."

Rosalie reached into the pocket of her dress and extracted the pouch of coins. "I understand your love for WordGirl is strong, but it is being terribly squandered on her, and you know it to be true. Do not let her, nor the weak ideal of a conscience, guide you in the affairs of life. Instead, trust in yourself, for in the end, that is all you have. If you aid my Lady, you will be rewarded greatly with the one thing you have always desired: the key to unlock WordGirl's heart."

Tobey's interest peaked at this. "How?"

"Love is a constant struggle for domination. WordGirl's constant rejection is because she wants you to give chase, to bow down and surrender to her power. You can never let this happen. You must never answer to her. She must answer to you."

Implementing the second weapon in her arsenal, Rosalie displayed the stolen meteorite, letting the fiery crimson glow bathe Tobey's eyes the color of lust. "What you're looking at is a meteorite composed entirely of Lexonite, a mineral that, while harmless to human beings, is lethal to Lexiconians. With this in your possession, you can bring WordGirl to her knees. Exposure for an extended time period will both drain her of her powers and break her spirit, leaving her vulnerable to you. She won't be able to fight you, and you'll have finally won."

Tobey's face was framed in deep scrutiny, and for a moment, Rosalie believed she had indeed swayed the boy. Suddenly, however, his contemplative demeanor changed to one of disgust.

"I don't need your bribery or your lies," he spat vehemently. "Despite my tendency to bend the rules, I do have some rudimentary code of ethics, something you are sorely lacking. I won't stoop so low as to hurt WordGirl to get what I want. I'll find another way."

"Oh come now, Tobey," Rosalie mocked. "I know I desperate soul when I see one. And you are so desperate for even the tiniest morsel of love that I almost find it sickening."

"You manipulative demon," hissed Tobey. "I can't even stand to look at you."

But Rosalie only laughed as she saw that even in his rage, Tobey kept his shaking fists grasped around the two parcels she had given him. Just as he was about to leave, Rosalie played her final and most deadly card.

"Oh well, suit yourself then. Although, I thought that you of all people would jump at the chance to dispose of your greatest rival. You know, that simply insufferable brat, Becky Botsford."

* * *

"Any results on Rosalie's clockwork angel?" asked WordGirl brusquely.

Two-Brains lifted his eyes from the microscope in annoyance by the disturbance. "This object is completely beyond my knowledge, as it seems its founding principles are based not on science but on magic."

"Magic?" WordGirl repeated.

"Yes, magic," Two-Brains replied testily. "What, has your acclaimed super-hearing failed you? And here I thought you were good with words. It appears that this necklace is first set off by strong emotion by the wearer and once so, reacts violently when coming into close contact to magic, sub-dimensions, and alternative reality, which perfectly explains why Rosalie was drawn back here."

"But there's no—" WordGirl began.

"I can think of at least two magical beings under this roof," Two-Brains said. "A unicorn and a wolf changeling to be precise."

"And you figured all this out with just a microscope how…?"

"Watch it, you're making a plothole!" cautioned Two-Brains, and sure enough, a gaping wide vortex sprung to life in the middle of the floor.

"At least we can always rely on you to screw up," the scientist mocked. "Now, if you can summon up the wits to move, I have a hole to patch—"

"Why do you hate me?" The words tumbled out of their own accord, neither accusingly nor mockingly, but simply there, their dead weight hanging limply above their heads.

At this, Two-Brains released an uproarious, bellowing laugh. "You really need me to explain all the reasons why a super villain would hate his greatest archenemy?" he asked, wiping tears of mirth from his bloodshot pink eyes. "I'm sorry, darling, but I'm afraid you can't be loved by everyone, especially the most ruthless criminals in Fair City."

"No, the villains may find me a nuisance, but they don't hate me. And neither do you, Steven."

At the sound of his former identity, Two-Brains' expression immediately turned grave. "Will you give it a rest, WordGirl?" he asked wearily. "You know what happened that day as well as I do. Just let him go; it's better for everyone. Steven was soft, weak—"

"But at least he had a heart," WordGirl said. "He cared about me, and I believe with everything I am that he still does. No matter what form he takes, he will always be one of my dearest friends."

"And yes, I'm just a cynical maniac taking his place," Two-Brains remarked placidly. "Despite anything that happened in the past, you're still stuck with a monster, so get used to it."

"Not around Jenny you're not," WordGirl stated. "Oh, don't give me that look," she admonished at Two-Brains' disbelieving expression. "I'm not blind, you know. What I don't understand is why you seem to care for Jenny while despise me, especially since we were friends for years when you were Steven Boxlietner, a good and honorable man—"

"What makes you think Steven was a good person to begin with?" demanded Two-Brains angrily at the heroine's accusations. Then, the truth slowly dawned on him. "He never told you, did he? He never told you, one of his closest confidants, about what happened with Jessamine—"

Two-Brains' musings were suddenly interrupted by Tobey as he burst through the door with the wiki girls minus Rosalie, his eyes wide with shock.

"WordGirl," Tobey gasped as he tried to catch his breath. "I need… to talk… to you. It's… really important."

The heroine was so taken aback that she forgot to be her usual, snarky, sarcastic self around him. "What's going on?"

"I can't talk about it here," Tobey replied, relieved that WordGirl was going to take him seriously. "She'll hear us."

The extra emphasis upon the pronoun left WordGirl with no doubt of whom he was referring to.

Wordlessly, Tobey led WordGirl out of the house and to the edge of the grounds. Normally, WordGirl would have believed this to be a simple ruse to get her alone, but judging by his abysmal performance in school play auditions, he wasn't that good of an actor.

Finally, once Tobey believed they had sustained an adequate distance, he abruptly stopped and let the words tumble out in a rush. "It was all a lie. Rosalie is still working for Miss Power; she's been sent here simply to spy on us and learn our plans. Rosalie has Lexonite, and when Miss Power comes here, which, according to her, is supposed to be any minute, she's going to use it on you."

WordGirl's eyes instantly grew wide at the mention of her long-feared weakness. "Where is it?" she asked, trying and failing to make her voice sound authoritative.

Tobey needed no clarification. Hand shaking, he extracted the tiny wooden box from his pocket. Perhaps if she had been forewarned, she would have noticed the menacing blue blur circling overhead, or Rosalie dashing hurriedly across the grass, or the malicious gleam in Tobey's eyes, but she did not. Faster than anyone could react, Tobey flipped open the box, revealing the deadly chunk of Lexonite.

At once, a wave of nausea assaulted the Lexiconian girl. Her skin burned like fire as the poison seeped its way into her body. A whimper of pain slipped past her lips, and she stumbled backward blindly in an attempt to get away from the meteorite. Her vision began to blur as she felt the Lexonite's draining effects. Finally, her legs gave way and she collapsed into Tobey's arms. WordGirl let out an eardrum-shattering shriek of agony as Tobey mercilessly pressed the burning rock into the side of her neck.

"Tobey!" shrieked Jenny in horror. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Following my orders," said a voice in the distance. Whipping around, the girls saw none other than Rosalie, striding up the glade with a malicious, regal confidence. "It didn't take much to convince him," Rosalie continued mockingly, unfeeling to WordGirl's tortured cries escalating with violent intensity. "Just a few persuasive words, a secret, and thirty pieces of silver. That last part was a poetic touch on my behalf; I just couldn't resist making him a real Judas."

"Wait, how did you get out of your room?" demanded Syrena.

"Oh, I just screamed random obscenities at the audience until the fourth wall broke," Rosalie replied causally.

"But why?" cried Kerry, looking utterly distraught. "Why must you do this?"

"Because, since divine retribution seems to have failed me, I suppose bittersweet revenge will have to suffice in punishing WordGirl."

"Dang, melodramatic much?" scoffed Kerry. "Are we in a freaking Shakespeare play?"

"Actually, Shakespeare was known just as much for his comedy than his tragedy plays," Miss Power replied matter-of-factly, swooping down like a glided bird of prey upon the group.

"Okay, what the hell is it with you and 17th century British literature?" asked Syrena. "Bella better give us a back story on this!"

"And thus the fourth wall crumbles to dust," Rosalie muttered in disgruntlement.

"In case you haven't noticed, we're outside," remarked Jenny. "There aren't any walls here."

"Fine, then the east horizon of the sky has crumbled to dust."

"How in Lexicon's name does your brain make any kind of sense out of—"

"Excuse me!?" exclaimed WordGirl. "If you're done with your polite little banter, would you mind noticing that I'm currently held prisoner by the enemy and am in desperate need of saving?!"

"Oh yeah…" said the wiki girls embarrassedly.

"Haha! You'll never get the chance to save her!" mocked Miss Power in that cliché villain monologue of hers. "Power up and away!"

As the alien flew away with two traitors and an unconscious superhero in tow, the others couldn't help but think that this was the most random and abrupt chapter ending ever.

* * *

**They're not the only ones... hehe.**

**So, as you may have already guessed, I completely ran out of steam after the Rosalie and Tobey scene. Sorry if that was a letdown, folks.**

**Also, in response to Insert Name Here's (and anyone else who was wondering) query about Two-Brains vs. Steven Boxleitner, this is how I chose to portray his paradoxical personality in this specific story. To serve my purposes, Two-Brains possesses a limited recollection of Steven's memories and to an extent his emotions, while also containing Squeaky's malevolent nature. During actual moments of committing wrongdoing, he is perfectly content with doing so (Squeaky), but afterwards experiences a pang of nostalgia and guilt (Steven). And yet, Steven makes little attempt to fight Squeaky because due to actions from an upcoming flashback, he believes this punishment is what he deserves, and in a morbid way, is better off as Two-Brains. These two personalities have a discordant harmony, with (for motives yet to be explained) different aspects focused upon more heavily when associating with different people. (Two-Brains is more Squeaky-like around WordGirl, and Steven around Jenny.) Hopefully that made sense, because I hardly understand it myself.**

**Chapter 11 comes NEXT Tuesday. (I can't work ****_quite_**** that fast, Awesome. :D)**

**Love to all,**

**Bella**


	11. The Lesser of Two Evils

**Hello once again! Sorry for the late update, but as most of you know, I had to post my one-shot entry to A pencil in her hand's fanfic contest. But I'm here now, and with me is the next chapter! **

**Let me give a shout-out to my latest reviewer, MysteriouslyNotNamed.0.0! **

**Note that a lot of scenes from this chapter come directly from the original wiki version (Remember, this whole story was a collaboration between four writers). If some parts don't seem like my writing, then it was probably written by someone else, so just chill, folks. **

**In this update, prepare for an explanation on Jessamine, and Steven's backstory!**

* * *

"Well, we were pretty pathetic during that scene," remarked Syrena bluntly as she watched Miss Power fly away. "Seriously, we did absolutely _nothing_."

"Kerry?" asked Jenny concernedly. Kerry was standing frozen off to the side, with tears welling in her sparkling crystal eyes.

"Oh no you don't," reprimanded Syrena. "We don't have any time for running off for character development in this chapter. We have to save WordGirl from Miss Power and teach Tobey and Rosalie that no one screws with the WGWLTSTTMXWG Fan Club!"

"Er," began Jenny confusedly. "You know what, I don't even care anymore. Just do your thing."

Jumping at the opportunity for randomness, Syrena pulled out a random pickax with which she began to meticulously chip away at the fourth wall of the sky. Once she had created a sizeable hole, she stuck her head through and said:

"Attention, readers! If you can be the first reviewer to decipher what the above initials stand for, you'll win a secret sneak peek at the prologue of Bella's upcoming trilogy! If she's already showed it to you, then you'll get… um, I don't know, actually. Don't worry, you'll get a shiny, virtual gold sticker from me!"

"Okay…" said Kerry. "Pushing that sudden bout of randomness aside, what are we going to do now?"

"Ooh, ooh, I know!" said Jenny enthusiastically. "Let's get WordGirl back and defeat Miss Power, just like in the movie!"

"But we've all seen the movie, Miss Power almost defeated WordGirl and took over the city!" exclaimed Kerry worriedly.

"Don't worry, we can take her!" said Syrena encouragingly, trying to hide her own nervousness. "After all, it's three against a group of awesome fangirls and a huge group of vill—" Looking around, she continued, "Hey, where did they go?"

All three girls whirled around simultaneously to see all the villains trying to hurriedly cram themselves through the front gate.

"Hey! Where do you guys think you're going?!" demanded Syrena furiously, putting her hands on her hips bossily.

"Sorry, girls," said Two-Brains, "but you're on your own. We barely defeated Miss Power the first time, and without WordGirl, there's no way we'll be able to defeat her now."

"Oh no you're not! You're going to fight alongside us or we're all going to die trying!" With a loud war cry, Syrena charged for Two-Brains like a raging bull. Several seconds filled with wince-inducing punches later, the 13-year-old dragged him, beaten and covered with a thin film of dust, back to the group by his collar. This display of brute force scared the rest of the villains into submission; meekly, they proceeded back to stand by the wiki girls. Syrena looked on with a hint of pride, pleased that she was apparently considered more fearsome than Miss Power herself.

"Seriously, everyone," said Jenny. "We need you, each and every one of you. There's no way we wikia girls can defeat her alone, but with you, we at least have a chance!"

"You saw the movie, that crazy alien was going to kill me!" exclaimed Two-Brains defensively.

"Yes, and we have many reports of people almost crying at that part. Anyway, we can't overpower her by ourselves, but with you guys, we just might be able to pull it off!"

"I don't know," said Chuck warily.

"Chuck, you've got a giant sandwich crusher, don't you think that might contribute to our battle at least a little?"

"Well…"

"Miss Question!"

"Yes?"

"Your ability to shoot question marks is awesome! You can confuse, puzzle, um... Help me out here, Lady Redundant Woman."

"She can confuse, puzzle, perplex, and completely baffle people!" The villain looked at Jenny for approval. "How's that?"

"Awesome, thanks!" replied Jenny cheerfully before continuing with her inspiring pep talk. "Invisi-Bill, Big Left Hand Guy. Your powers are great!"

Some of the major villains snickered at the two seemingly inept criminals.

"What?" Big Left Hand Guy said defensively. "Look, I've got a big left hand. There's only so much one can do with that! There are way more taxis here than in Fair City, and I can hail any one of them at a moments notice!"

"Exactly! Invisi-Bill, you can turn invisible!"

"Oh, no way, really?" remarked Seymour sarcastically.

"Yep!" said Invisi-Bill, oblivious to the snide comment. "Because I'm Invisi-Bill! Ha ha!"

"Erm, yeah. Butcher, you can shoot meat out of your hands! Lady Redundant Woman, you can make like zillions of copies of yourself! And not last and not least, Dr. Two Brains."

"Yeah, what?" said Two-Brains crossly as he crossed his arms stubbornly.

"You're an amazing, brilliant scientist who can build ray guns that turn stuff into cheese and shrink or grow things! Last I checked, not even the government has figured out how to do that."

"That's because we're cartoons," he pointed out dubiously.

"Oh hush, Syrena's done enough damage to the fourth wall already today. If WordGirl were here, she'd remind you of all the times where you were again her awesome, amazing, super-genius friend. And let me remind you how many times she's saved your life. Each and every one of you owes it to her to try and save her life this once."

"Alright, fine," he conceded to the squealing cheers of the fangirls. "But if we're going to take on the Miss Power, as in the ultimate cartoon evil, then we're going to need a good plan. Any suggestions?"

"Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh!" said Jenny, waving her hand frantically. "Pick me! Pick me! Pick me! I have one!"

"What, Jenny?" Two-Brains snapped, annoyed.

"We could do what WordGirl did in the movie! Overpower Miss Power with words!"

"What does overpowder mean again?" asked the Butcher.

Two-Brains facepalmed. "Really, with that number of brain cells, it's a miracle he can talk and walk at the same time."

"Hey! It's harder than it looks!" the Butcher exclaimed with indigence. "I mean, you have to time it just right, keep your mind focused on the words coming out of your mouth—"

"To overpowder," interrupted Jenny before the Butcher earned himself more embarrassment than necessary, "means to add an access of powder. To overpower means to vanquish or conquer with superior vigor or resilience."

"Er… define every word in that sentence, please."

Two-Brains sighed. "This is one of the many reasons we need WordGirl back. Any other suggestions?"

At this sudden prompting, the other villains nervously whispered amongst themselves, unable to devise a better plan.

"Thank God for genius," Two-Brains muttered in annoyance. "I think Jenny's plan, albeit vague, is a good starting point. Whatever we decide to do, however seemingly docile, it ultimately will result in a direct confrontation with Miss Power.

"Now, I'm not about to march you all off to your deaths. I'm offering each and every one of you a choice. This choice is simple: die together or die alone. To accept this choice, you're all going to have to conquer your fear of dying.

While Rosalie's courage in the face of death did drive her to recklessness, her epiphany was inspiring. The key is to take this courage and harness it so that we do not throw away what precious time we have. Our lives need to stand for something, and at this day, this hour, is when this will come to fruition. We are given the chance to save this realm in the hopes of returning to our own, and if we do meet our demise on the battlefield, I want you all to remember that…"

At this, Two-Brains choked on his words as his eyes met Jenny's. In their swirling crystal depths, he could read his parting words etched in her tears:

There might be a God, Jenny, and there might not be, but either way we're on our own.

"We can't rely on a God or anyone else in the world for salvation, but that we will all get what we truly deserve."

Then, in an attempt to justify himself to Jenny, he continued, "We all have something or someone we're living for, but maybe our life is the price to save what we hold dearest to our hearts."

A weighty silence passed over the group as the threat of their demise loomed over their heads like the eyes of Death penetrating into their hearts. Here, in reality, there was no guarantee of anyone's survival. It seemed as if the silence swirled around them, slowly hallowing out until they were light enough to rise from this world into the endless expanse of sky.

"Did I mention that Miss Power has some awesome chocolate chip cookies?" added Two-Brains weakly, forcing a smile.

At the mention of cookies, the other villains burst into an enthusiastic frenzy of applause, but Two-Brains didn't care. His eyes scanned the crowd in search of Jenny. He finally located her in the back of the crowd, the only person not wildly cheering to enter the bowels of death for the bribery of sweets. Her head was hung in such a manner that her entire face was obscured.

_Look at me_, Two-Brains begged in his head as he awaited Jenny's verdict with a sinking trepidation. _ LOOK AT ME!_

As if in answer to his pleading, Jenny slowly raised her head to look the villain in the eye.

Suddenly, the rest of the world became a sea of gray, with the only spot of color being Jenny's crystal blue eyes. There were no tears as she steadily held his gaze with a burning defiance, but one look into her accusatory eyes said everything.

He had failed.

* * *

She was on fire.

A spark that had ignited from her neck had spread with an insatiable greed to every part of her body as the deadly blaze attempted to throttle her from the inside out. Noxious fumes swirled in her lungs, and no amount of coughing would bring any release. Her head was heavily assaulted with the brutal agony, and all she wanted to do was rest, but the flames wouldn't let her. They burned with a brighter, more insistent frenzy until screams tore loose from her now boiling neck, screams to just end it now, before she had to live through another second of this torture.

Then, as quickly as the fire had began, WordGirl felt the spark which flamed upon her neck blissfully depart, dragging the other tendrils of fire with it. The blaze had not vanished, however, rather it had simply increased its radius around her to form a perfect circle around her body. She could still feel the searing heat scorch her skin, but the pain was significantly lesser. Still, WordGirl didn't open her eyes, simply because she was terrified of beholding the actual blaze torturing her.

But that was before she heard the voices.

Voices floated faintly to her ears, although slightly warped, as if she were hearing them from the depths of the ocean. WordGirl tried to push the pain to the back of her mind so she could focus on the conversation.

"Will she be all right?" asked a voice concernedly.

"As if I care," another voice scoffed. "She barely put up a fight; not something I would call hero-worthy."

"My little sister," a third voice mocked, barely able to contain glee. "She's in absolute agony right about now."

Slowly, WordGirl's sluggish brain was able to match the voices to people. Tobey… Rosalie… Miss Power…

The last name sent a jolt of terror through her veins as she realized with a nightmarish reality what had happened.

_Traitor… Lexonite… Captive…_

Then, all the pieces fell into place with the terrified pounding of her heart.

_I'm Miss Power's prisoner._

Feebly, WordGirl forced her eyes to flicker open to see her three captors looking down upon her with mingled expressions of concern, contempt, and malice. Their faces were bathed in a bloody haze, a haze that did not go away even after the Lexiconian blinked several times. After looking around, she realized with a horrible jerk that it was caused not by a simple head injury, but something far more substantial, something that had haunted the girl's nightmares for nearly two years.

She was back in the cage.

"What are… y-you doing… Miss Power?" WordGirl stuttered weakly.

"Well, it appears that the Lexonite truly does muddle your brain," the alien mocked, apparently relishing WordGirl's pain. "Of course, I've seen those few repulsive beggars on Lexicon who couldn't afford to be vaccinated being driven into insanity from prolonged exposure, so I suppose I shouldn't be surprised."

The mention of her feared weakness triggered a wave of alarm; she frantically scanned the interior of the cage, searching desperately for a way out, some light of salvation. Despite the scorching heat of the cage, she still shivered violently from the frigid eyes of ice of her kidnappers.

"Don't even try to find a Lock-u-tron 3000," said Rosalie. "Miss Power isn't nearly as idiotic as the blithering fool Mr. Big."

"Please, let me out!" she screamed, especially beseeching Tobey out of sheer desperation.

"I'm sorry, my darling, but I'm afraid this is the only way," said Tobey. "You're either going to love me or no one at all."

At this, the twelve-year-old girl collapsed into tears as she brutally threw herself at the bars of the cage, her screams echoing throughout Miss Power's spaceship. She persisted at her futile attempt to escape until she surrendered to the pain and fell to the floor. She cradled her neck where Tobey had pressed the Lexonite and whimpered when her hands came away stained with blood.

"M-my friends will come to save me," WordGirl said defiantly in a feeble attempt to sound courageous, even though it was plain that she was fighting to simply remain conscious.

This only added to Miss Power's amusement. "She doesn't realize what's going to happen to her, does she?" she said gleefully like a child reaching into the cookie jar and finding an extra chocolate chip cookie **(Yes, I'm dying for a cookie, as you can tell.)** She leaned inward menacingly until mere inches separated their faces, one the picture of triumph while the other the picture of defeat. "You're going to go mad, WordGirl," Miss Power hissed, sinister. "You'll slowly lose your grasp on reality, on the truth and the lies. You'll begin to hallucinate: snakes will gouge out your eyes, the infernos of Hell will drown you in their embrace, and soon you'll be begging for death. And that's when I know I'll win, because you know you've lost when your greatest enemy is yourself."

Needless to say, WordGirl went absolutely ballistic. She screamed and screamed until her knees gave out and she collapsed like a marionette with broken strings.

With a malicious satisfaction, Miss Power beckoned Rosalie and Tobey with a slight jerk of her head to follow her. Obediently, the two children accompanied her out of the room and into the library.

"Okay, what was that all about?" demanded Rosalie sassily. "'The infernos of Hell will drown you in their embrace?' Sheesh, melodramatic much? And if you start referencing a 17th century poet or something, I will seriously lose it."

"You know, I'd probably kill you if I wasn't so grateful for you bringing WordGirl to me," Miss Power replied pleasantly. "You certainly know how to act, don't you, Rosalie?" she continued as if discussing the finer aspects of a play. "And Tobey, betraying the girl you claim to love? Genius, pure genius."

Rosalie and Tobey stood there awkwardly, not sure how to react to Miss Power's praise. Miss Power definitely wasn't the type to even smile unless it was due to the torturing of a small, adorable animal.

"Well, I have a question," Rosalie said, bypassing the alien's dicator's plaudits. A brief expression of disgruntlement flashed across her face, but it was soon replaced with one of passive indifference. "Why weren't you, a Lexiconian, affected from exposure to Lexonite for such an extended period of time?"

At this, Miss Power burst into an insane laughter, even more offsetting than her usual wicked cackle. "You really thought I would be affected by Lexonite?" Miss Power asked in disbelief as she wiped tears of mirth from her eyes. "And here I thought you were an intelligent girl. Planet Lexicon's outer crust consists of 40% raw Lexonite; you really though the entire population would be able to stand it? My dear, no would survive a week! No, every Lexiconian receives a vaccination, similar to the kind humans use to defend against polio, at the age of three solar cycles. But tragically, WordGirl left the planet at age two. My God, did you really think I would keep a potential fatal mineral, however secured behind a secret panel which you so cleverly discovered, in my very own spaceship?" Then, dropping to a menacing whisper, every word injected with the vile poison of intimidation, "Do you take me as a fool?"

Rosalie shook her head hastily. "No, my Lady," the girl whispered, choking back tears of frustration. Just when she had believed all the pieces had finally fallen into place, she had learned that the seal of logic had been masked by the trickery and deception of assumptions. She had gambled her life on that assumption, only to realize with a crushing reality that it was all for naught, that she had gambled too high for the sake of too little.

I'm not getting out of this ship alive, Rosalie thought with silent horror.

"I should think not," the alien replied, her words dripping with vehemence. Whether this response was directed at Rosalie's words or thoughts, one could never be sure, although Rosalie had the chilling, spine-tingling feeling that it was the latter. Without any further warning, Miss Power swept from the room with a flourish, leaving Rosalie and Tobey alone, both wearing looks of utmost shock and dismay.

As soon as Miss Power's retreating footsteps faded into silence, Tobey went into the hallway, only to return minutes later with a rusty, dirt-caked shovel in hand.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" demanded Rosalie.

"Come on, Rosalie," Tobey reprimanded, his face as ashen and grave as death. "We'd better start digging our graves."

* * *

**Meanwhile, in the lab of Professor Robert Tubing… wait, did I read that right? How the hell did you get here?**

"Well, I suppose I couldn't expect a disembodied voice to possibly comprehend the motives of a genius," said Two-Brains obnoxiously, "but I'll try to explain the concept in terms a simpleton like you can understand. Basically, the ultraviolet frequency controlling the gravitational force between dimensions habitually refracts an isotope of the realm by destroying sub-atomic particles at the molecular level through the process of—"

"What he's trying to say," interrupted Jenny. "is that normally, different dimensions only have distorted parts of reality, but there are a few token occasions where a place in an alternative dimension is exactly the same as reality. Fortunately for us, this laboratory is an exact replica of the one in Fair City. Get it now?"

**You do realize that's a terribly thought-out plot point, right?**

"Oh well, what can you do?" Jenny replied pleasantly.

**So what are you doing now?**

"Since we're not about to charge into a fight without at least any weapons, we came here to see if we could scavenge some of Two-Brains' earlier inventions from before he became a criminal."

"If you're done breaking the fourth wall, would you mind coming over here and helping move some boxes?" Kerry called.

"Fine, fine," Jenny grumbled as she retreated into yet another box-filled room, with piles teetering rickety, their tops sometimes scraping the ceiling like pillars and somehow, despite their shabby, neglected state, reminded Jenny of the grand Greek and Roman columns from her history book. They looked so forlorn with the sagging lids pulled into frowns by weighty mounds of dust, but of course, they had nowhere to go under Professor Tubing's care. They were simply tucked away in the darkest corners like orphans long forgotten, yet still longing for even the mere scraps of love and attention.

"You sure have a lot of boxes," Jenny remarked. "It's like it's in your heritage."

"How so?" said Two-Brains in a mildly absent-minded tone as he unearthed to his great surprise a litterbox (thankfully cleaned out) with an odd array of buttons and knobs.

"You know, Boxleitner, Box Lightener?" Jenny explained, hoping he would laugh at her witty pun.

"Yeah, sure…" he trailed off distractedly.

Annoyed, Jenny childishly stuck her tongue out at the doctor when his head was turned and then reverted her attention to the boxes. Intrigued about their contents, Jenny flipped open the top of the nearest box to reveal a most curious invention, a toaster with a set of rocket thrusters.

"Could this be helpful?" asked Jenny, holding up the device for the scientist to see.

"Um, no, that won't be necessary," Two-Brains said hastily as he pushed one of his first – and rather juvenile – projects back into its corresponding box before anyone could see. "Er, why don't you go look in that other room, Jenny?"

Feeling slightly irked at the abrupt dismal, Jenny did as he said. She groped around for several seconds in dark as her hands searched for the light switch. However, instead of finding a vast array of boxes as expected, Jenny found piles upon piles of slightly moth-eaten books, with one standing out starkly from the other glossy, hardcover textbooks. This particular book was bound in leather, with its musty, fingerprint-worn pages suggesting that this book had been very much loved by the reader.

After looking back to make sure no one was watching, Jenny inched forward cautiously to read the title, emblazoned in a cursive scrawl: The Private Journal of Professor Steven Boxleitner, Age 26.

Of course, Jenny wasn't about to let this golden opportunity of snooping pass her by, so she eagerly turned the pages, watching his entire life flit past her eyes fleetingly. She never settled upon single page for more than a few sentences, but gradually her reading slowed toward the end until she eventually paused long enough to read the final few entries:

_June 27: WordGirl came by to visit, asking for advice on The Butcher. All I can say is I'm glad I'm not a villain! WordGirl's progressed so well (I'm very privileged to be able to help her), and it's extremely kind of her to let me study her for my book, which by the way, is now published. She's one of the smartest people in the city, or rather the world, considering that the average Fair Citizen isn't all that bright... No offense, anyone who's reading this! I suppose what I'm trying to say is that she's the only one intelligent enough to understand and help with my experiments, and she told me that I was the only one that she felt like she could be herself around._

_June 30: Today's the day I test my mind-reading equipment on Squeaky! I've made sure he won't get hurt, and I even have a leftover pastrami sandwich to warm up... Yum! After I complete the experiment, I'll tell how it went here: __

Fighting back tears as her eyes took in the words of the last page, as well as that dreadfully spot that would never be filled. Jenny always knew that Two-Brains' had had a life before turning to a life of crime, but it had never hit home quite as much as it did now, reading the scribbles of a young man filled with so many hopes and dreams only to have none of them fulfilled. Jenny couldn't imagine that kind of feeling, to know you could have had everything you ever dreamed of, only to have it all ripped away to be replaced by your personal living Hell.

Trying to steer her mind away from such unpleasant thoughts, Jenny let her attention wander around the room until her eyes eventually locked onto a stack of musty photos tucked away into the nook of a desk. Gently brushing away the dust, Jenny held up the first picture to the light. It featured a younger Steven, perhaps in his early-20's with his arm draped causally over a young woman with lush, shiny black hair that cascaded far past her shoulders and deep, heavyset hazel eyes that seemed to glow, even through the many layers of tarnish. The two appeared to be abroad, most likely somewhere in Europe, posing against the backdrop of a quaint, picturesque village of rolling hills, with the sky drooping its silvery violet eyes into the somnolence of twilight. But what struck Jenny most about the photo was their smiles, not forced as was normally the case with posed pictures, but a genuine happiness. Jenny had never seen Two Brains smile in such a way before, and for a moment, she grasped the full enormity of just how much he had lost that day.

Wanting to know more about the girl, Jenny freed the photo from its frame and read the description written on the back:

_Me and Jessamine Versailles, France, June 2006_

"Enjoying yourself, are you?" said a callous voice from the doorway. With the token face of the guilty caught red-handed, Jenny whirled around to see Two-Brains, looking down upon her with a severe frostiness, and in that moment, Jenny whole-heartedly believed he would summon lightning from the sky to strike her down.

"I… I…" Jenny stammered as her slow brain struggled to come up with a believable excuse.

Without even waiting for the excuse the two of them knew would be a lie, Two Brains rudely snatched the photo from her hands. Barely giving the girl a glance, he slipped it back into the frame and carelessly tossed it onto the rest of the pile.

"Who is that?" Jenny asked in barely a whisper, the words slipping past her lips like a bar of soap.

"Why, it's me of course," Two-Brains replied stonily. "And you claim to be one of my greatest fans—"

"No, the girl," Jenny said, only this time with confidence and purpose as does accompany recklessness and a burning desire for information. "Jessamine." The scientist's muscles tensed at the mention of her name. "I want to know who she is."

"Her full name is Jessamine Madeline Lovelace," he stated tonelessly. "Does that answer your question?"

"No, I want to know who she is to you, what she means to you."

"Why do you even care?"

"Because you cared for her and she cared for you, and for some reason, I want to care about you, too."

"Can't you just give it a rest, Jenny?" asked Two-Brains, this time with just a tiny bit of pleading behind his voice. "If you really want to care about me, then you'll let the past rest in peace, and me as well."

There was a certain finality in his voice, signaling whatever water-logged past there was associated with Jessamine, he would never tell. And he most likely wouldn't have anyway. But there's something oddly satisfying about having a secret, even the most terrible of ones, at least for a while. There will always be some small piece of information in the world that will never reach a person's ears simply because you refuse to divulge it. It gives a somewhat euphoric sense of power. But if no one knows there's a secret in the first place, then it's as if that secret doesn't exist, as if it's not really all that important. But it's important to you, so why shouldn't it be important to others? Then, it starts eating away at you, and you need it to surface, just to assure yourself that it's actually important, that _you're_ actually important.

And this is how Two-Brains sat down to tell the story of his life.

Well, at least the important parts.

"Now, I won't just be talking about Jessamine," began Two-Brains. His voice twisted strangely around Jessamine's name, as if his mouth was not accustomed to forming those syllables. "I'll also be talking about myself, as well as a few other lives I've impacted, lives that would have been much better off without me.

"I first met Jessamine straight out of college, at an international convention of scientists at the University of Versailles in France. I was majoring in engineering, while she dealt with the medical branch of science. You should have seen her; she was absolutely wondrous. Jessamine was one of those rare people who carry that little spark of childhood in their hearts well into adulthood. She was so full of life, so full of hopes and dreams. She wasn't all that religious, but she always believed in the 'beautiful things' as she called them, in love and hope and light. She was going to discover a cure for cancer, and she always said it with such conviction that you couldn't help but believe her.

"The two of us hit it off immediately, and after the convention, Jessamine went to America with me to work at Fair City Laboratories, one of the finest in the country. There we remained for a little over six months. We were never engaged, although we lived in the same apartment, and our relationship was kept consistent.

"But I suppose God has a cruel sense of humor, because shortly afterwards, Jessamine was diagnosed with breast cancer, and was scheduled to only live for six months.

"I'm not going to lie; I think we all, Jessamine included, knew in our hearts that she was going to die. But of course, Jessie was as bright and cheerful as always, and it turned out that she was the one comforting me, even though I was an inconsolable wreck. I didn't eat or sleep much during that time; I was terrified of wasting even a moment of those now precious days with her as the months slipped through my fingers like sand, or even worse, I feared that one day I would wake up and learn that Jessamine had died, and hadn't been there to at least see her go.

"Then, a miracle came to us. Dr. McCallister, one of the top surgeons in the country, offered Jessamine a chance to participate in a beta trial of a potentially revolutionary operation to eradicate the cancer. Of course, she consented, and I was alive again, fueled by the greatest addiction of humanity, hope.

"I wasn't allowed inside the operation room; that was blocked off for Dr. McCallister and his staff. I just stood outside the door for hours, hoping and praying for that moment when the doctor would come and bring that most joyful news, the news of life.

"Oh he came alright, but he didn't bring quite the news I was expecting:

_A young man in his early thirties, with clean-cut fair hair and wiry glasses framing azure eyes brimming with wisdom far beyond his years, pushed open the door, sending the slightly nauseating stench of anesthesia wafting into the hall. A spindly man literally bounced from his seat in expectancy, his nerves like taunt springs. _

_"Is Jessamine alright?" he asked the doctor, and he actually wanted an answer. It wasn't one of those times when you inexplicably know the fate of a loved one; no, all he could feel was his own anxiety from the waiting. All Steven wanted was an end to it all, not only the operation, but also all the emotional pain from the past six months. _

_"I'm sorry," said Dr. McCallister, his voice weary with sorrow. "She's—"_

_But Steven covered his ears, unable to bear the thought of that awful word. There was no denial, no tears, just the brutally painful weight of the truth slowly sinking into his heart and pounding it to a crushed, lifeless heap._

_"How did it happen?" Steven barely croaked out. "What went wrong?"_

_"Like I told her, the procedure was in its rudimentary testing. One of the devices malfunctioned, someone made an error in procedure—"_

_"Who was it?" Steven demanded angrily. "Who made the mistake?"_

_"It was me," the doctor said defiantly, without any hesitation. _

_At this, Steven broke down into great, heaving sobs. He collapsed into his chair and held his head, weighed down by grief, in his hands. He could barely muster the energy to move, so broken he was, barely muster the energy to form the words that would haunt him until his dying day:_

_"Every night, I will pray to God that you drop dead in recompense for what you've done, Dr. McCallister, and if luck is on my side, I will be able to watch it when you do."_

"Little did I know that I would get far more than that," Two-Brains continued. "I would ultimately be the one to bring it about.

"After Jessamine's passing, I was employed by a private corporation as one of their ecology scientists. One day, my team was out testing in a secluded lake just outside of Fair City, where we discovered that toxic pollutants had been dumped into the water, and without proper decontamination, would seep into the surrounding soil, causing a widespread epidemic.

"We immediately reported this to the state governor of New York in hopes that he would provide the funds necessary. However, he was at the time running for reelection, and to have to pay for the catastrophe by causing a tax hike on the sate could very well cost him the race. So instead, we were ordered to stay silent about the matter or suffer the consequences.

"Then, just three weeks later, all six members of the team, including myself, were brought into rigorous interrogation by the United States government. It appeared that records showed that the toxins had been dumped in the lake by our company on the same day of our testing, thus making us prime suspects. Of course, we all knew we had been framed by the governor. None of us were convicted; however, we were only released under strict orders to not release this information to the public, and that failure to comply would be considered an act of treason and be punished by 20 years in federal prison.

"I know I should have told the public, but doing so would mean throwing my entire life away. I wouldn't be able to accomplish any of my dreams locked away in a musty cell. I know it was horrid of me, but I just couldn't stand the idea of reaching my dying day only to realize my entire life had been a waste, especially when I had vowed to live my life for Jessamine, who never had the chance to achieve her dreams.

"So I remained silent, just as my other partners, and the epidemic spread rapidly across New York. It sickened me to watch the governor give a nationwide speech consoling those with loved ones killed by the outbreak with not the single glimmer of guilt as he lied and lied and lied. Nightmares would haunt me, visions of mutated children born with three heads and sickly limbs from the poisoned water. The worst part of the ordeal was that I could not comfort myself by saying it was an illusion, for each death was my fault, and mine alone. And each death weighed upon me so that the guilt was a boulder crushing my chest and my heart.

"But the final blow came when I learned the Dr. McCallister had also perished under the disease. Some would call it divine retribution, and it was, although the one who suffered the wrath of karma was me."

"And that's why you hate yourself," Jenny concluded.

"Can you blame me? Despite what everyone says, Steven Boxleitner was a wretched man. Even with his malicious nature, Squeaky has never, never taken a life; Steven almost eradicated an entire city. I'm not fighting between good and evil, Jenny. I'm fighting to determine the lesser of two evils, and so far, Squeaky is pulling out ahead. I could always yield and allow Steven to take control, but I don't because he's the real monster."

"But he's not!" cried Jenny. "You're not! It wasn't Steven's fault, it was the governor's, the company's, the government's—"

"I'm not going to play the blame game," Two-Brains said. "I admit, fault does lie with them as well, but a large portion of the blame lies with me. I was the only person on the team that didn't have a family; of course, they couldn't have given up their children. But I was only concerned about my own life and my own best interests. Even plagued by guilt, I didn't come clean. Children and adults were dying before my very eyes, and I didn't do a goddamn thing. Mothers lost their daughters; sons lost their fathers, and I consented, because silence means consent. I could have saved thousands of people, but I didn't. I thought my life was worth all of theirs, when in truth, I didn't deserve to live at all. What kind of person does that make me?"

Jenny was about to reply when Kerry and Syrena burst through the room with their arms filled with an assortment of ray guns.

"We're ready, guys," said Syrena. "It's time to march into the lion's den."

* * *

**Yeah... definitely not my best chapter. I guess the part with Steven and Jenny was okay, though. I might have to rewrite some scenes if I'm to maintain some pride.**

**The part after Jessamine's death was actually based upon the real life events of my 7th grade math teacher (Yes, my ****_math _****teacher. She has a shocking history.) Obviously, I can't give away any names, but in the less than 1% chance you're reading this, Mrs. (fill in the blank), I want you to know that it's me, that girl from Nationals who's the brunette cantor with the really long hair (I cut it over summer! It's way shorter now!). Yes, I'm a fanfiction writer! I'm not sure if that's a surprise or not, but I really enjoy it! We all miss you here as we prepare for our graduation year, and I'm sorry to say that I'm lost in math once again without you and Chocolate Algebra. **

**I hope you view your horrible ordeal being integrated into my story not as an insult or mockery but as a testimony to you. The emotions and feelings portrayed here are not at all based on how you should feel, but about (as everyone will discover next chapter) the pain of blaming yourself when there is no true fault and the need for all of us to push aside our past and focus on our future.**

**Honestly, I don't know when the next chapter will be, because at this point, I'm driving blind. Aim for about a week again, but I can't give any promises.**

**Remember to enter the contest mentioned at the beginning!**

**We're getting down the wire with this story! There are just one or two more chapters until the end, but boy, it's been a fun ride!**

**Love to all,**

**Bella**

**P.S. Heading off to Confirmation in a few hours! Hopefully the bishop won't slap me in the face! :D**


	12. Choosing Sides

**Not setting a deadline = Updating sooner than expected. Huh. Screw logic then.**

**Prepare for every shipping you've ever loved to die a horrible death. :D**

* * *

"Ugh, why do we have to walk, stroll, and hike all the way there?" complained Lady Redundant Woman as they trekked through the muddy forests of Montana. "You know, we _did _have a car; why didn't we just use that instead of dumping it in a ravine three hours ago? And you claim to be a genius!"

"Miss Power would hear that rusty engine chugging from a mile away," replied Two-Brains, pulling his labcoat free from yet another obtrusive branch. "Seriously, that car was on its deathbed! Maybe if you were more adept at hijacking, we could've stolen a hybrid, but no!"

"And thus the shipping burned," commented Jenny in an undertone to the fangirls as the two villains continued their squabbling.

"I heard that, you know," Two-Brains said, which momentarily shut the girls up.

Momentarily.

"So, who's singing the funeral march?" asked Syrena once they were an adequate distance away.

"_No, you didn't have to stoop so low!" _sang Kerry in an atrociously off-key voice. "_Have your friends collect your records and then change your number! I guess that I don't need that though—"_

"The fandom's not the only one that's going to die if you keep up that racket!" the scientist reprimanded. This remark was considerably more effective, and the three teens remained silent throughout their hike as though their throats had been slit.

Finally, Jenny spoke up, though she kept her voice to a whisper. "Are any of you thinking of how Rosalie and Tobey are doing?"

"Personally, I'm more concerned about whether or not a certain super heroine is still breathing than the well-being of two traitors."

"Syrena, you don't have to be so idealistic," said Kerry. "You're forgetting that they're people, they make mistakes—"

"And _you _don't have to be so straightforward and such a smart-alec all the time! Maybe I want to be angry! Maybe I want to cry! Is that so wrong? Does that make me a bad person? I'm a person, too, and I have feelings!"

"I never said—!"

"Um, girls," Jenny whispered concernedly as a brilliant streak of blue careened across the sky.

"You don't think, do you?" Syrena continued, her voice steadily rising in volume. "You've read all those books, but not one has told you how to be a person!"

"Girls," Jenny repeated more insistently.

"Not now, Jenny," Kerry said impatiently, brushing the girl's concerns aside. "At least I'm being practical! You've always had your head in the clouds, because you have so many regrets in life that you can't bear to face them!"

"Girls!" Jenny cried as the blue streak grew even nearer.

"Just be quiet, Jenny!" shouted Syrena. "Well maybe you shouldn't be so grounded all the time! Maybe if you actually had _faith _in something for once—"

"GIRLS!" Jenny bellowed. No sooner had the final ringing decibels ceased, then Miss Power landed with a swift gracefulness before the group and faced them with the malicious grin of a cat stumbling upon a cornered mouse.

In silent shock, Kerry and Syrena first stared, dumbstruck, at the other, and then in unison, swiveled around to face Jenny and declare in perfect, accusing synchronicity:

"Jenny! Why couldn't you just shut up!?"

* * *

"Ahh! Where'd all the lights go?" panicked Jenny as she groped around aimlessly in the dark.

"We're having a scene transition!" hissed Syrena, annoyed. "Now hurry up!"

"Oops! Sorry!" said Jenny quickly as she scuttled to join the group as they made their way offscreen.

* * *

"Have you gone mad?" demanded Rosalie furiously at Tobey's outlandish proposal.

"No, I haven't!" Tobey replied defiantly. "I can't take it anymore! All this anxiety, all the fear, not even knowing if I'm going to live another hour! My life is a fraying string, and I just want to get it all over with and die, because that's the only thing Miss Power can't control. The object of her game is to completely dominate us into submission, but if we kill ourselves, she'll have been denied the satisfaction of getting to do it herself, of using her power to make us do as she pleases. WordGirl's going to die in a matter of hours; everything we've sacrificed ourselves for is for nothing. We have nothing to live for anymore, but if we die, we're the ones who win."

"Theodore Tobey McCallister," began Rosalie. "You are simply the most idiotic person I have _ever _met."

"What are you talking about?" Tobey demanded affrontedly with wounded pride. "I'm being perfectly serious, you know."

"And so am I," retorted the 13-year-old. "You don't get it, do you? You have all the pieces in front of you, but you're still blind, you don't know what it means. From the moment I walked in here, dying meant absolutely nothing to me, although I wouldn't complain if I lived, and now, you feel the same."

"You don't realize what kind of unique position we're in," she continued. "We owe allegiance to no one, and now, we have nothing to lose. Because of this, despite what anyone says, _we're _the most powerful players in this game, because either way we'll win. If we live, WordGirl will be ours. If we die, we defeat Miss Power. Besides, if we're going to die, then why not go out getting what we want?"

Without further ado, Rosalie took the shovel from Tobey's slack grip and, with more force than she had realized was possible for her, smashed the window to pieces. Then, without any further warning, Rosalie took Tobey's hand and, just pausing to point her feet downward, recklessly jumped from the window. Her mind was surprisingly and blissfully clear as the wind whipped around her streamlined body, at least until the two plummeted clumsily into a nearby mud puddle.

Normally, Rosalie would have been horrified at her ghastly state, but now, she gave it no thought as she and Tobey dashed through the woods, with mud fanning out from her hair like streamers as they ran, faster and faster until the world faded away into a meaningless blur of color and sound. The only noises Rosalie focused on were the steady drumming of her feet beating against the unforgiving earth and the gentle thud of her clockwork angel as it bounced wildly against her chest from the movement.

"You know, I think I just might love you," Tobey declared breathlessly, for neither were track runners and in fact played the roles of that token child in class that drops dead after two laps. But perhaps that had been due to the fact that in gym class, they ran away from things: the starting line, the demanding coach, and the snickers of fellow classmates as they sprinted awkwardly around the track. Now, they were still running away from Miss Power, but another, stronger part of them was running _toward _something, toward life, the most precious gift of all.

Despite willingness to die, never before had the two felt more alive. The furious pumping of their hearts, the desperate panting of their lungs, and the sound of the world, and every living thing in it, drawing breath in perfect harmony made up the melody of life's beauty. Someone, they found themselves woven into the harmony, with their own song, their own story, ringing out far above the rest. And then they realized how foolish it was to run toward life when it was here, all around them, and in their hearts. And the most surprising revelation was that Rosalie and Tobey cherished every second of it.

Rosalie smiled at Tobey's statement, but she did not reply, instead consenting to sprint hand in hand as they plunged deeper and deeper into the forest. This may have seemed to simply be useless wandering, but somehow, Rosalie felt she knew the way. And if you were there, you would have sworn to see that little clockwork guardian angel shine just a little bit brighter.

"Where are we going?" Tobey asked upon the realization that unlike Rosalie, he was completely lost.

"Just keep running, Tobey," she said. "We'll be going back for WordGirl and the others later. Right now, we're going to a dairy farm."

As she ran, Rosalie continued to replay Tobey's previous words in her head over and over, with the only break in the mantra being:

_That's what I was afraid of._

* * *

"Tobey, just smash the window!" Rosalie demanded. The sound of her voice, which for some reason sounded strangely disjointed and monotone, sent a reflexive chill down WordGirl's spine, and she curled herself into a fetal position as yet another wave of nausea overtook her. Then, there was the piercing shriek of shattered glass, a sound that reverberated horribly inside her head. Weakly, her eyes fluttered open to see a disgruntled Tobey and Rosalie scrambling to climb through the window before their precarious positions upon the slippery ledges of the spaceship caused their feet to give away. The heroine saw this all through a burry, persistent fog that remained even after several blinks.

"She's over here!" shouted Tobey as he approached the Lexonite cage and knelt down to her eye level. "My God, she looks terrible," Tobey remarked after close inspection of WordGirl's weakened state. "Do you see the key, Rosalie?"

"What, you think it's that easy?" asked Rosalie. "She's not going to leave the key out in the open, you know. It's not just going to be lying around anywhere. She's probably hidden it far, far away, where we'll never find it. I mean, it's _definitely_ not dangling on top of a 17th century edition of _A Tale of Two Cities_, which is located on the third shelf of the seventh section of—"

"Rosalie," Tobey patronized.

"Chill out, I've got it," she said cheerfully, and with a light toss, threw said key to Tobey, who, to no one's surprise, fumbled the catch and had to pick it up off the ground while nursing his wounded pride.

With a click, the door swung open with a slight creak, leaving the pathway to freedom wide open. Nevertheless, WordGirl shrank away from the opening, or, more precisely, the two people standing in it.

"It's okay, WordGirl," Tobey coaxed in a reassuring tone. "We're not going to hurt you, but you really need to get out of here."

"Why are you helping me?" she barely croaked out.

"Because, like it or not, we need you," Rosalie said. "We only turned rogue because we believed that Lexonite was Miss Power's weakness, and thus would be our defense against her wrath. Now that that belief has been proved false, our lives are in danger. Forget our anger, deception, or vengeance; now, we realized that you are the only one who can even come close to putting up a fight against her."

When WordGirl didn't move, Rosalie continued. "We need you, WordGirl. I need you. Please, just give us one last chance."

This combined with her apparent suffering seemed to convince her. Trembling, she stood up and staggered to freedom, with Tobey taking advantage of the opportunity to wrap his arms around her to steady her.

"Good girl," Rosalie approved. "Now, all we need to do is—Good lord, what happened to your face?"

"We can't worry about that now," Tobey chastised as WordGirl sagged nearly unconscious into her arms. "Unless you want Miss Power to turn us into mince meat."

Rosalie shuddered at the thought, and thus she consented. Turning to WordGirl, she asked in a rare gesture of concern, "Can you walk, or do you need Tobey to carry you?"

"No!" WordGirl demanded with a remarkable force at the proposition. "Er, what I mean is," she said hastily, "I can walk."

Then, without further ado, the three teenagers leapt from the windowsill and after allowing themselves a few brief seconds to recover, took off once again into the woods. Surprisingly, WordGirl was soon able to run at their pace, although Rosalie and Tobey could tell it pained her. The two slowed down slightly, letting WordGirl run in front. All they could hear was the desperate panting of their lungs as a looming darkness shrouded them like a cloak. This time, the forest did not arouse the feelings of life, but instead brought about the ominous chill of death. Their frantic running was constantly accompanied by the frightening paranoia of believing that no matter how fast they ran, they could never escape, forever caught in an endless maze.

Soon, their path was marred with the sight of a nearby pond, which at first glance was so unnaturally clear and tranquil, without the slightest ripple of the breeze, that it appeared to be a grand mirror set into the face of the earth upon which the sky above it could admire its own rapturous beauty. As they drew nearer, however, WordGirl could see that the pond was in fact coated with a gluttonous green algae. What was even more alarming were the hundreds of beady, menacing snake eyes that trailed her steadily as they thrashed about in the pond.

"We have to go around!" yelled WordGirl fearfully, but she could not slow her headlong charge into the pond's path. Instead, she inexplicably began to run faster and faster until it would be nearly impossible for her to stop.

"Now, Tobey!" shouted Rosalie. Then, WordGirl felt the force of four hands shoving her head first into the murky, snake-infested waters.

As the toxic sludge charred her skin and the snakes dragged her like cords deeper and deeper into their icy depths, all WordGirl could see as her last breath faded into nothingness was a vision of a lonely girl weeping as the world around her burned.

"No!" she cried, bolting upright only to cry out with the painful headache that abruptly followed. Looking around, WordGirl saw that she was in fact still locked away in the Lexonite cage, with no sign of the events of her twisted reality. Thankfully, however, Miss Power was also noticeably absent.

But wait! WordGirl's heart caught in her chest as she glimpsed out of the corner of her eye a brief flash of green, deformed skin and a dreadful snake eye leering at her from a window.

But as her senses focused more upon this sight, she found that at what first seemed to be a window was in fact a mirror, propped against the wall. But no, that couldn't be…

Weakly, WordGirl staggered forward until she was standing directly in front of the mirror. A horrified scream rang in her ears, a scream that was her own as tears of shock and disbelief welled in her eyes.

Across the right portion of her face, she bore the selfsame green visage and luminous snake eye of Miss Power.

Collapsing to the ground in tears, the lonely girl wept bitterly in her cage of burning flames.

* * *

"You really thought you could escape me?" mocked Miss Power wickedly as she looked down with triumph upon her cornered victims.

"Technically, we weren't escaping," pointed out Kerry. "In fact, we were preparing for a confrontation—"

Her sentence was effectively cut off by means of a laser beam shot dangerously close to her head.

"Be quiet and let me continue my gloating!" demanded the alien. Kerry crept to the very back of the group, where she remained utterly mute.

"That's better. Now, I'm going to tell you all something, and you'd better listen. I know what you want, but you don't understand what you need. So, I'm willing to make a trade with you. I will release Rosalie Winters, Tobey McCallister, and Mr. Big - who is indeed alive, though presently rotting away in my basement – in exchange for these three wiki brats here."

"That's outrageous!" Two-Brains retaliated. "Give us one reason why we would ever trade three of our most loyal allies, who are innocent in this entire matter, in exchange for a wretched business man and two traitors."

"Oh, you don't really want all of them," Miss Power replied, enjoying her inside joke all the more, barely able to contain her laughter. "I just added the extra two to even out the numbers. It's only that Rosalie girl you really want."

"Enough mind games," said Kerry, tightening her grip on the ray gun clenched in her hand. "Tell us what you're really playing at, Miss Power, or I swear to God, we're all going to fire our weapons, and not even you can escape a hundred deadly lasers all aiming at your heart."

"Oh, fine, if you want to be all boring that way," Miss Power sulked before resuming her usual sneering demeanor. "Like it or not, you need that girl back. As we speak, police are roaming the Montana countryside in search of the daughter of a wealthy prominent philanthropist. The girl was reportedly abducted from her home in San Francisco on Saturday morning by a madwoman. The kidnapper has demanded via telephone a 100,100 dollar ransom for the girl's safe return."

"Of course, the money means nothing to me," Miss Power continued in satisfaction from the girls' stunned expressions. "What matters is that I lure the authorities here, straight to me, and more importantly, WordGirl. Oh, I wonder what their reaction will be when they unearth a real live alien on Earth."

"You wouldn't!" shouted Syrena.

"But I would, darling, and you know it. I wonder how long it will take for the Department of Domestic Security to dissect the Lexiconian."

"No," breathed Syrena.

"Of course, if Rosalie is found, then there will be no need for your pretty little heads to worry about the police ever getting involved in this business," reasoned Miss Power. "However, I'm not about to let her go without a price. You three are the ringleaders of this whole matter. If I dispose of you, then I win."

"No," breathed Jenny. "Girls, we've got to do it. We can't let WordGirl end up as a science experiment for the government! We don't have a choice."

"But," protested Syrena.

"There's no way," Jenny declared gravely. "We have to hand ourselves over."

"No we don't!" said Kerry triumphantly. "She's tricking us, girls. It's an empty threat. For over ten years, WordGirl has passed for a human in Fair City; the police will never be able to trace any alien origins. They'll just think she's a human."

Kerry had expected Miss Power to explode in the rage of having her plans foiled, but she did not. Instead, she burst into an uncontrollable, maniacal laughter. "You really are clueless, aren't you?" Miss Power said gleefully. "You don't realize what's happening to her!"

"What?" said Jenny, dreadfully concerned. "What are you doing to her?"

"Oh, I'm not doing anything; the proper credit goes to the Lexonite." Then, the alien pushed back her bang to reveal the hideous visage of disfigured green skin with a beady snake's eye the jewel in the center. "Imagine her entire face covered with this atrociousness. She's absolutely horrendous. On Planet Lexicon, the feature is perfectly accepted, but here? She'll be labeled a freak and hauled off to a laboratory, never to be seen again."

Miss Power triumphantly surveyed her audience, suspended in stunned speechlessness by the revelation. "So, what's it going to be? Your lives or hers?"

"We…" Jenny trailed off, fear choking her tongue as she was weighed with the uncertainty of what to do. Turning to her friends, she asked, "Kerry? Syrena? What should we do?"

"It's your decision, Jenny," Kerry said gently. "After all, I think it's safe to say that you're our leader now."

"Huh? Why me? I'm not smart or brave like you two are."

"But you have something neither of us could ever have," Syrena said. "You've got a good heart, Jenny, and I know it sounds cliché, but right now, that's what we need. We all know what we need to do, but you're the only one brave enough to admit it."

Taking a deep breath, Jenny nodded as she accepted this grand responsibility. Then, stepping away from her friends, Jenny slowly walked until she was in the lone man territory between salvation and the ultimate destruction. And then, the symbolism hit her in a dizzying moment of perspective: she was all there was standing between the world and doomsday. In that moment, she felt so meager, so inadequate, as if she were but a mere china windowpane shielding the planet from a raging meteorite of fire.

And that shield was about to break.

"Alright, Miss Power," Jenny said with tears, the absolute sign of weakness, in her eyes. "You win."

* * *

**Meh, it was an okay episode, but as you all know, that's not much to expected. At about Chapter 8, my overall inspiration seems to go downhill. Hopefully I'll be able to pull myself together for the final chapter.**

**So, since this chapter came a day earlier than I expected, once again, I am not going to say a set date for the final chapter (which might actually be split into a two-part). See you soon though! Remember to leave your comments in the reviews!**

**Love to all,**

**Bella**


	13. Marked by the Stars

**Hello again! Yup, it's Friday, it finally snowed a decent amount in my area, and I'm back with another chapter! Even though I was absolutely stunned and thus unable to write the entire weekend by that My Little Pony season 3 finale (Don't judge, folks; remember what show you're reading fanfics about now), I still updated at a decent time! The ending is going to be split into a two-parter, so this chapter is not the last.**

**Now for some personal news I'd like to share with you guys (and girls). On Tuesday, I received the results of my entrance exam, and not only was I accepted and placed in Algebra, Biology, and English honors, but I also received a scholarship! Since I placed in the top ten scores from the exam (with over 600 students testing), I will have $3000 dollars taken off my tuition every year if I maintain a GPA of 3.0. Because tuition at my school is around $14000, that money will really help a lot.**

**Okay, enough about me; let's get on with the story!**

* * *

The long trek to Miss Power's ship was torturous, both emotionally and physically. Their wrists were bound with blood-constricting tight ropes, but everyone would agree that Miss Power's looming presence was more than enough to keep them in line. After all, she could simply kill everyone caught in this agonizing game and be done with it, but she was not the kind of person to exact vengeance quickly. No, she wanted to dominate her victims to the point where they pleaded for death, simply because her ravenous addiction to fear and pain demanded it.

As they walked, Jenny, Kerry, and Syrena huddled close together for a sense of protection and comfort as they proceeded onward, all the while utterly alone, save for Two-Brains, who had only been allowed to come as a moderator. The other villains had been forced to stay behind, with only sad waves and tearsome farewells to give them. Now, powerless and captive, they mocked their useless, empty words of hope. What good were they now? A mere pacifier for the weak and soft-hearted to ease their troubled hearts was all they ever were, and nothing more.

Finally, they reached Miss Power's spaceship, where upon they were rather rudely shoved inside. As Jenny stumbled and turned around to see the door slide shut behind her, she couldn't help but feel as if all the love and hope and light in the world had slipped past the crack like a fleeting wisp of smoke, just out of her reach and leaving her utterly alone.

Turning to Dr. Two-Brains, Jenny realized with a crushing reality that this was probably the last time they would ever be able to speak. She grabbed his wrist and, with a great urgency, said, "Listen to me. Now that we're gone, it's going to be up to you to keep the rest going. Don't try fighting Miss Power; you're only going to lose. You are going to fix that teleporter, and you are going to bring everyone home, understand? I don't care how much it hurts; you are not going to come back for us. You are going to leave us here to die. You are not going to lead a suicide mission, because goddammit, I want you to live! You are going to live, live for Jessamine, for me, and for yourself, okay? Don't you dare throw your life away, because if you do, if you disregard the miraculous gift of simply drawing breath, then you will make a mockery of every single person who ever accepted death so that someone else could live. You will dishonor Jessamine, who died so a cure for cancer could be perfected, and you will dishonor me, as I practically walk into Death's waiting arms. Screw everything they say about not having love take away life's meaning; instead, think about how taking your life would take away the meaning of Jessamine's death. She sacrificed everything she had because she saw something about life that was worth protecting; can't you trust in that? I know you loved her, so make sure her sacrifice wasn't for nothing and live!"

At this point, Jenny was crying tears of hysteria as she begged him to understand, because despite what anyone may have thought, she was giving up her life for him, and him alone.

But Two-Brains said nothing in response, instead turning to address the alien dictator before him.

"Okay, Miss Power," said Two-Brains, trying to keep up the façade of a stoic demeanor despite the dire circumstances. "We've upheld our end of the bargain; now it's time for you to do the same. Where are Mr. Big, Tobey, and Rosalie?"

"Oh, don't worry, they're here. Gigglecheeks!" she called brusquely. Then, there came the sound of heavy breathing followed shortly by the space mockey, dragging in his wake the unconscious of the evil businessman. After depositing Mr. Big at his mistress' feet, the monkey collapsed from exhaustion.

However, Miss Power would have no mercy for her sidekick. "Where are the other two?" she demanded angrily. "Don't you know how to count, you fool?! Bring me the robot boy and the insipid brat!"

In response, Gigglecheeks chattered away in a series of incomprehensible squeaks, at least for humans, but his message was perfectly clear to the alien dictator. Her face turned a putrid crimson as the monkey continued on, his shrieks growing ever more high-pitched and rushed from terror, and Jenny couldn't help but feel sympathetic toward the helpless creature.

"What do you mean, they escaped?!" she screamed. "You blundering, banana-loving moron! Did you not realize how pivotal those two were to my plans?

"No, I won't accept apologizes from you this time," she continued, cutting him off as he pleaded at her knees for forgiveness. "You've made far too many mistakes for me to tolerate. Go!"

Shoulders slouched and looking the picture of despair, Gigglecheeks slowly shuffled to the direction of what Jenny assumed was his room.

"No, not there! I never want to see you again! GET OUT!"

At this, the monkey's eyes grew incredibly wide, as if his eyes had to expand to contain the immeasurable depths of despair they contained. It was as though he were utterly broken. The others watched in stunned speechlessness as Gigglecheeks trudged toward the door; he was unable to even stand erect from the crushing weight in his heart that weighed upon his lungs, suffocating them. There was no anger, no resentment, just an interminable sadness of rejection.

Jenny wondered how on earth Gigglecheeks, even in the face of this cruel dismissal, still seemed to desire nothing more than to return to his verbally abusive mistress. She seemed to cause the monkey so much heartache on such a daily basis; surely, freedom from such pain would be a relief, right? But then it hit her that Gigglecheeks had nowhere else to go, no one in life to turn to. Miss Power was the sun upon which his life revolved around, and to him, even getting charred by raging solar flares would be preferable to wandering around the vast galaxies alone, lost in solitude for all eternity. Without her, his life had no purpose, no meaning, and Jenny wanted to cry from the cruelty of it all.

"Well, that's enough for me," said Two-Brains, his hand already to the ray gun stashed in his lab coat, the weapon unsheathed like a sword. "You broke your end of the deal, so we're sure as hell not going to fulfill ours." Looking around, his eyes latched onto the long series of wooden bookshelves lining the wall.

"Hope your spaceship has fire insurance."

* * *

"Just how stupid _are_ you?!" screamed Jenny as she coughed to rid her lungs of the encroaching smoke.

"Well, at Miss Power is trapped under those bookselves," justified Two-Brains.

"Oh, that makes me feel _so_ much better!" remarked Jenny sarcastically. "We're all going to be burned alive, but hey, at least the villain is momentarily trapped under some bookselves, which can easily be removed. Yes, a brilliant plan!"

"Follow me, everyone!" shouted Kerry, guiding the others toward an escape route to another, non-burning room. The group made their cautious way through the brambles of flame, smacking their lips greedily as they gnashed their jaws at the girls and let their hot, sultry breath wash over them. Finally, panting, they slammed shut the door and allowed themselves a momentary repose as they filled their lungs with fresh, cool air and let the furious thrumming of their hearts slow to a steady, calmer tempo.

"WordGirl!" exclaimed Jenny upon noticing the girl tucked away in the darkest recesses of the faintly glowing Lexonite cage. Filled with an urgent concern, the others quickly joined Jenny.

"WordGirl? It's us, the wiki—oh God," breathed Kerry upon seeing WordGirl's disfigured, tear-stained face. "We have to get her out of there. Does anyone see the key?"

"It's right here under a stack of papers on this end table," said Jenny. **(Nope. Not gonna do it. It's too obvious.)**

At once, Syrena quickly snatched it up, and with a resounding click, the cage door swung open. But WordGirl didn't move; she didn't even acknowledge their presence. She simply rocked back and forth with her head in her lap as she murmured a string of incoherent phrases.

"WordGirl?" asked Jenny tentatively. "Are you okay?"

But she did not reply. Her head was turned toward their general direction, but it was like WordGirl simply saw through the girls, her vision containing a far more horrendous figment of her own distorted reality. Her eyes were devoid of all light; they were simply empty pools of darkness hanging suspended inside her skull.

"She can't hear you," said an authoritative voice behind them. Everyone whirled around to behold Miss Power in her full fury, her eyes blazing with an unquenchable fire. But when she spoke, her voice was conserved and collected like the calm before the storm. "You know, if I had any compassion, I might actually feel sorry for my poor, innocent sister."

"What? Sister?" exclaimed Jenny, her voice become painfully high-pitched.

"What? Plot device?" Miss Power mocked. "Yes, is it truly so hard to believe?"

"Yeah, kinda, considering you're sending her into insanity!" retaliated Syrena. "Why are you doing this to her?"

"Oh, I'm sure you'd like to know, but why would I ever want to tell you? Do you just expect to completely pause this climatic scene and confess the most intricate details of my plans just like every other cliché villain, just so the readers can have some exposition?"

"Umm, yes?!" chorused the girls sarcastically.

"Okay, fine," Miss Power said matter-of-factly. "I suppose I should start at the beginning. Alexandria Theia, or, as you know her, WordGirl, is indeed my younger sister as well as a princess of Planet Lexicon. This is in fact a complex matter for it is quite rare for a royal family to have more than one heir or heiress, and naturally, this aroused complications. Eventually, our _mother,_"—The word was spat with a bitter contempt—"Queen Islanzadi, decreed that we would both be properly trained as rulers and then, once we had both reached a mature age, would then vie for the throne."

"I, only ten lunar cycles of age at the time, was furious. For all my life, I had strived so hard for the crown I alone deserved. I sacrificed my friends, my hobbies, all for the sake of my studies, and now, my rank, my birthright, was about to be up spurred by a mere infant! As queen, I would be bestowed with unlimited power, I could not accept this threat, and while I did not doubt my abilities, thought that such a proposal was insulting.

"And so I plotted a way to somehow remove Alexandria. Despite what you might think, I was above killing her at the time, and after all, her murder would be too easy to trace. In the end, I decided that I simply needed to send my sister far, far away from Planet Lexicon so that she would be presumed dead and I could take my rightful position in peace.

"With thirty pieces of silver, I thus bribed a captain of the Lexicon Air Force, one I knew who could be easily swayed, by the name of Captain Huggyface. Together, we arranged for a ship malfunction that would 'accidentally' carry Alexandria off the planet, never to be seen again. And in practice, the execution was flawless.

"At least, until I discovered I had been double-crossed by my own mother: Alexandria had been Marked.

"Lexiconian heirs are branded with the golden star emblem of Lexicon as a symbol of their power, a mark that cannot be taken away. Once Marked, that person is entitled to the throne until death. The pretense of a fair fight, it had all been a ruse. Queen Islanzadi only wanted her favored daughter to win.

"In justified rage, I left the planet and thus began to amass my power across the galaxy so I could one day return and do away with the one person who has gotten in the way of my mission to achieve true power."

"And there's one more problem that needs to be eradicated," Miss Power continued sinisterly, her eyes already alight with the spark of deadly lasers. "You."

"Oh no you don't!" shouted a voice from above. Without any further warning, the room instantly became drenched by a deluge of… chocolate milk?

"Did you guys miss us?" shouted Tobey as he and Rosalie deftly leapt from the rafters with an empty tub of chocolate milk in hand.

"Have you two lost your minds?" demanded Kerry. "What in the name of reason gave you the idea that pouring _chocolate milk _on Miss Power would have _any_ sort of effect?"

"In case you hadn't noticed, Miss Power isn't looking too good right now," Tobey pointed out truthfully. The alien in question was currently collapsed in a broken heap on the floor and howling in agony as the liquid made contact with her skin.

"It was Rosalie who figured it out," he continued. "She noticed that Miss Power was positively terrified at the prospect of getting Rosalie a glass of chocolate milk, so she was able to piece two and two together."

"Okay, ignoring the absurdity of having that as a weakness," Jenny said, "but can we please get out of here now?"

"Yes, go, go!" shouted Rosalie, casting an alarmed glance at the rapidly encroaching flames. It took the strength both Kerry and Syrena to haul the now unconscious superheroine out of the Lexonite cage, and together, the group made a mad dash toward any exit that was not being devoured by the inferno.

"We're going the wrong way!" Jenny screamed over the crackling jolts of beams giving way as they were charred to ashes. "The door is over there!"

"That room is totally on fire!" Kerry replied. "We have to find another way out!"

Eventually, they found themselves bursting through the library door, but even then, there was no escape from the blaze. Rosalie watched in horror as the thousands of books, Miss Power's most prized possessions, were greedily devoured in the manner of a voracious reader such as herself. It saddened her to see the charred, ashen pages flutter weakly like butterflies as they begged with fading, croaking voices for their stories to be told one last time, while the tiny sparks danced around gleefully at their misery.

But Rosalie knew this was no time to grieve over something as superficial as books. What mattered at the moment was the fire, growing steadily closer until there remained only mere inches of floor where they could stand.

"There's no hope," Kerry cried as the heavy smoke clouded her mind, a mind so full of promise now going to waste.

"I'll never be happy," Syrena lamented to herself. "I can't believe all this time I wasted. There's so much I wanted to do in my life; I'll never do it now."

"Jessamine!" Two-Brains cried out brokenly, his voice scratched from the lack of fresh oxygen. "I'm so sorry! Please, have mercy on me!"

Rosalie clutched one of the few remaining books in her arms, her tears sliding down the glossy cover as she clung tighter and tighter to the one constant stronghold of her life, a life that was about to come to its end.

Jenny looked around in shock as her friends and enemies alike practically started to lay down and die. She couldn't accept this, her fate, she just couldn't.

But then, out of the corner of her eye, she found her salvation. Behind her, one of the paintings depicting the Seven Grievances of Lexicon rippled ever so slightly, like a stone dropping into a pool.

Then, an insane, impossible idea came to her. No, it couldn't be…

But maybe an insane idea was all they needed

"Everyone, jump in!" she cried desperately.

And together, they all hurled themselves into the painting.

* * *

**Meh... Hopefully I'll be able to deliver a good ending. Muses, pull through for me!**

**So, I'm thinking of changing this story's name from "What Happens in Cyberspace Escapes from Cyberspace" to "Believing in the Beautiful Things." The reason why is that I feel like this story is no longer just about a couple of girls who met on the Internet, but rather it has a deeper meaning. Or maybe I'm just throwing all humility out the window. I don't know; I just don't feel the title is adequate anymore. And that's my I'm asking you! So, do you think I should change the name or not? Let me know in the reviews!**

**That's what winter is supposed to look like! Excuse me while I run outside and dance around in the snow like an idiot. :D**

**Love to all,**

**Bella**


	14. The Wilting of a Winter Rose

**Hi! It's me again, coming to you guys on a lovely Saturday evening. In case you haven't noticed by now, I have officially changed the name of this fanfiction from What Happens in Cyberspace to Believing in the Beautiful Things. The votes seemed pretty split, with good points on both sides, so I decided to just go with my gut and change the name. Feel free to continue calling it What Happens in Cyberspace, though.**

**Okay, I lied; this ending is actually going to be a three - possibly four - parter, because as always, I underestimated how long the ending would be, and after reaching nearly eight Word pages (and the entire story surpassing 100 Word pages in 12 font single space I might add!), I just cut it off here. Enjoy!  
**

**I'm going to split this chapter into Acts, simply because it's easier to divide the accompanying background music, and also, it just sounds cool.**

**"Act I: The Evening Light" Song  
Mulan Declaring Rosalie's Destiny: Preliator by Immediate Music  
"Act II: Daddy's Girl" Songs  
Lacrimosa and With Great Power by Immediate Music (serpent) and Serenata Immortale by Immediate Music (Rosalie)  
"Act III: Field of Bleeding Flowers" Songs  
Like You, Hello, and Imaginary by Evanescence (three separate songs) and Like a Knife by Secondhand Serenade (This one has little to do with the scene, but I listened to it on repeat while writing it, and I think the overall melody and tone, lyrics aside, set the mood well.)**

**These are just some background songs that set the tone. Feel free to listen if you like, but if you don't, that's fine too. **

**Okay, I'll start the story now! Prepare for a sudden host of biblical references!**

* * *

"Act I: The Evening Light"

Jenny spit out a mouthful of grass and mud that her head had somehow found itself buried in. Even after collecting herself and wiping the dirt from her face, it took several blinks for Jenny to get any sense of where she was, for it was quite a disorienting setting.

She found herself in a vast plain of gently sloping hills and valleys rolling to the very edges of the horizon. Trees – if they could even be called trees – with geometric patterns of golden, diamond leaves spiraling around a lavender trunk were scattered like lone sentries in the distance. The very air seemed to be dripping with a sweet honey, so intoxicating that Jenny nearly fainted from the overwhelming rush of euphoria. Clouds danced in perfect synchronicity around a snow-white sun, radiating dazzling beams of light off of two spinning rings, one red and one yellow, to form a shining rainbow arc streak across the sky to fragment into a mesmerizing kaleidoscope of color as the rainbow glinted off a grand crystal city, the only sign of life for miles. There was no confusion no worry, and for countless moments, all that consisted of Jenny's world was the wind caressing her face with sweet nothings, the thrumming of her heart, and the peaceful bliss of this perfect paradise.

"Where are we?" Kerry asked, her voice dazed as one just waking from a dream. Jenny turned around in surprise; until now, she had completely forgotten about her friends.

"How did we even get here?" chimed in Syrena.

"This is miraculous!" exclaimed Two-Brains. "It appears that painting allowed us to cross the threshold of the space-time continuum! I can't believe it! With all the scientific advancements I've achieved, I never would've thought this was possible. This will be my crowning discovery, my—"

"Hold on," Jenny interrupted. "Did you say a _space-time _continuum?"

Two-Brains sighed. "Typical of you to say that. Well, we're obviously in a completely different plane of space. As for the time part, check your watches."

Simultaneously, all three girls flipped open their cellphones.

"I said _watches, _not _phones,_" Two-Brains said, wondering if they were all dense.

"What century do you live in?" said Jenny, smiling triumphantly as her phone displayed the time and date.

"I hate technology," Two-Brains said, trying to sound disgruntled, but the whole façade was ruined as he broke into a smile at Jenny's antics.

"Wait, the date's six months ahead!" exclaimed Kerry. "According to my phone, it's almost Christmas!"

"What?" said Syrena. "Summer vacation is over? Curse you, continuum thingy! I swear to God, by the power of Planet—"

"Lexicon!" WordGirl shouted, awestruck as she abruptly awoke from her unconscious state, falling to her knees so profound was her amazement at seeing her homeworld for the first time in her life.

"Lexicon?" breathed Syrena. "As in_ the_ Planet Lexicon? The planet that's been the center of almost all our WordGirl fanfics?"

"Is there any other?" Kerry said giddily, still adjusting to the dizzying effects of Lexicon's atmosphere.

Jenny gasped in suprise.

"Yeesh, Jenny, it took you that long to figure it out?" mocked Kerry.

"Rosalie!" she shouted in alarm.

At this, everyone turned simultaneously to face Rosalie, who was screaming in ever-higher pitched shrieks. The chain of the angel pendant was inexorably constricting her neck until her face was an artist's pallet of color, ranging from a splotchy red to an ashen gray. The clockwork angel hummed and vibrated as a steady glowing aura surrounded it. The light continued to grow in intensity until everyone was forced to shield their eyes from its glare. The lakes, valleys, and even the skies seemed to vibrate with an unearthly power. There was the sound of rusting metal grating horribly against metal, with Rosalie's screams providing the perfect, albeit disturbing, harmony. A series of creaks and groans were upstaged by the troubling sound of wheezing, like air being squeezed from a balloon to leave it broken and lifeless.

When the light faded, the girls, Tobey, and Two-Brains stood in silent amazement at the glorious sight, a woman in flesh and blood with grand metal wings emerging from her back. She was robed in shimmering azure silk, with each individual grain of glitter forming a beautiful pattern of constellations. A ruby sword was sheathed in her belt, adorned with stars. Her ebony hair was deftly woven with those selfsame silver stars, which accentuated the golden runes swirling around her face. She was majestic, she was stunning, she was ethereal.

"Who… who are you?" asked Jenny with wondrous awe.

"I am Mulan, the Guardian Angel of Time and Space," she declared proudly. Despite her appearance, her voice seemed to hum with life and feeling, much unlike the robotic monotone Jenny had expected.

"How is this possible?" asked Two-Brains.

"I am the Guardian Angel of Time and Space," Mulan repeated. "Thus, I also watch over the time-space continuum, the path that leads to alternative reality. I am naturally strengthened by that which originates from the Other Land, the parallel to what you refer to as reality. Just as I was guided to you, Lady Katrina and Lady Syrena, so also am I given power in my own domain, enough power to evolve into my true form."

"B-but you're Rosalie's necklace!" declared Kerry in shocked disbelief.

At the mention of Rosalie's name, Mulan became greatly troubled. Turning around, she saw her, pressing her shaking fingers to the flaming red mark around her neck from where the chain sank in and coughing desperately as she fought to get air into her flattened lungs. Like a concerned, loving mother, Mulan knelt down and cradled Rosalie's head in her arms.

"Daughter of Jezebel, are you alright?"

"Who are you?" Rosalie croaked out.

"I am Mulan," she answered briskly. "Please forgive me; it was not my intention to hurt you. However, I don't have much time, Daughter of Jezebel—"

At that very moment, an ominous rumble, deafening as a roll of thunder, swept the land. At once, it felt as though watchful, beady eyes of a malicious intend were boring into the heads of the little group.

"It's already begun," Mulan said worriedly. "She is trying to force entry into this place. This reminds me all the more how pressing it is that I aid you in the short time I am allotted, before Miss Power crosses the threshold and destroys all of Planet Lexicon."

"All of Lexicon?" Jenny said in disbelief. "H-how can we stop her? There must be a way!"

"Alas, there is nothing you can do, child," Mulan decreed, with a bit of haughtiness in her voice. Then, as if addressing a favorite pupil, she said to Rosalie, "That responsibility weighs alone on you, Daughter of Jezebel."

"Why do you call me that?" Rosalie asked quietly, serenely. Instead of addressing the more pressing question as to what her responsibility would be, Rosalie asked about her title, and from Mulan's approving smile, that was just the response she wanted.

"You are the last living descendant of Jezebel, the wife of Judas Iscariot, who was Christ's betrayer. From the time of her birth, Jezebel was gifted with a special connection to the powers above. She was an Enlightened One, one of the very few mortals who are able to decipher the will of God. Jezebel knew Jesus was the prophesized Messiah, so she encouraged her husband to join His band of followers in an attempt to save his soul from corruption and greed. Of course, this plan backfired, and Jezebel was greatly distressed when she heard of Judas' betrayal, for she knew that such a crime against the Lord would irrevocably sentence him to damnation. But even more was her grief when she discovered her husband had hung himself out of the crushing guilt of his horrible crime.

But Jezebel still greatly loved her husband, so she pleaded to Heaven that there might be some way that he might be spared from the torturous fires of Gehanna. The Lord strictly forbade any interference, but as the years passed, Jezebel became so stricken with sorrow that it was unbearable to watch. And so I, her appointed Guardian, came to her and offered her my sword, Ishmith, tempered in the fires of Hell yet infused with the light Heaven. This was the sword was from the very beginning of time, the sword that first blocked entry back into the Garden of Eden and is also the source of my divine strength. I told her that it possessed the power to distort the fate and souls of two beings who shared a deep love. If she ended her life with it, her soul would take Judas's place in Gehanna while his would be restored to mortal flesh. Never before had I seen a mortal so eager for her end; she agreed without a moment's hesitation, and it was only mere seconds until that sword passed from my hands to her heart.

"But God was furious with my actions, for I had disobeyed a direct order from Him. For my defiance, I was forever cast out of the gates of Heaven to wander the earth as a fallen angel. However, I accepted this verdict graciously and from then on, I guarded all of Jezebel's descendants, always appearing in various earthly forms, right down to you, Rosalie Winters.

"And now is the time for you to rise, to fulfill the destiny you were crafted for. Now is the time for Ishmith to be wielded by a mortal once again. And though it pains me, it cannot be escaped any longer, for the sake of this planet as well as your own."

Deep in her heart, Rosalie already knew the words that would follow. Nevertheless, it was a terrible blow to have those words spoken, to hang limp in the air, never taken back, never reversed.

"I'm going to have to die, aren't I?" said Rosalie, wanting to be the one to say it.

"Oh, heavens no, child," Mulan said.

"You're going to have to kill me."

* * *

"Act II: Daddy's Girl"

"Kill?" Jenny echoed in horror.

"I'm afraid so," said Mulan. "Miss Power is a formidable, despicable force that must be stopped at all costs. My own power is the only thing keeping her at bay, but it will break, break at the very moment Ishmith is used for the third and final time, as all divine instruments of power can only be used thrice.

Despite my fallen state, all angels were designed to love only God, and so when I die, God's power, the power of love, hope, and light, will forever shield and guard Planet Lexicon, making it untouchable for her and all the hosts of evil.

However, my death will not be enough. It will ultimately rest upon the shoulders of Jennifer, Katarina, and Syrena to ensure Miss Power's defeat."

"Us?" asked Syrena. "But how can we—"

Just then, her sentence was cut off by yet another roll of thunder that caused the air to slightly shimmer once more, a constant reminder that Miss Power was getting closer to evading Mulan's protection.

"There isn't enough time to explain," Mulan said hurriedly. "You will know what to do when the time comes. Rosalie, are you prepared to do what has to be done?"

"But why does it have to be me?" Rosalie asked.

"Death is a facet of the mortal realm; therefore, it must be you who brings it about. And because Jezebel's blood flows in your veins, Ishmith will remember your touch. It is the only way to get it to turn against its master to save us all. Miss Power is an evil, contrived being, a personal creation of the devil himself. She must be stopped. You _must _do this."

Rosalie nodded solemnly, her expression grave and resolute in her task. In silence, Rosalie obediently took Ishmith from Mulan's outstretched hands.

No sooner did ruby hilt slid into her grasp then the sound of hissing snakes ring out in the clearing like a shotgun. Across the expanse of horizon, a shadowy darkness like wisps of smoke slithered upon the earth like a thousand writhing worms. Just faintly, there could be heard the the tortured moans of all the eternally damned. The smoke then came together to form one grand serpent, white as the bones of Death.

"Ahh, Mulan," the serpent said in a surprisingly warm and comforting voice that lulled the girls into a sedated trance. "How sweet of you to give credit to me for my wondrous creation."

"Satan," hissed Mulan vehemently.

"Honestly, I prefer the name Lucifier," the serpent said causally, as if they were two old friends discussing the weather. "You know, Morning Star and all that. Much more eloquent. And as I recall," his voice became even more seductive, "you, my darling, used to be my Evening Light."

Rosalie could hardly believe her ears. Mulan had been Lucifier's lover?

"Yes, and you lost that light the moment you betrayed your Creator, your brothers, and your sisters with your foolish rebellion."

"Was it so wrong of me to desire free will, a gift the Creator bestowed upon this twisted, wavering human race but somehow deemed angels, steadfast in their loyalty, unworthy? Was it so wrong of me to not want to only love my Creator with a blind servitude? Was it so wrong of me to love _you_?"

"Your love was evil, something I could not accept. If you truly loved me, you would not have left the Covenant of Archangels, and because of your error, you have lost me. My light only shines for the Lord."

"Well, he didn't seem too appreciative of that, now did he?" replied Satan, taking a glance at Mulan's metal wings. Mulan blushed in shame. "Oh, how unfortunate your plight is. And you used to have such beautiful wings, all white and glossy with gold at the end of each feather. Alas, when you were sentenced to the mortal world, your physical divinity altered likewise. If only—"

"I do not wish to take part in your mind games," Mulan interrupted with a fiery wrath. "I already made my choice. Instead, I demand to know your purpose here."

"But of course," Satan replied in a mocking attempt at chivalry. "After all, you're not the real reason I graced this planet with my presence. I believe that honor goes to your charming friend Rosalie."

"Ahh, Rosalie," pantomimed the devil. "You look so much like the other mortal woman I first appeared to, Eve, of course, the first human to taint all her descendants with the mark of sin."  
"Stay away from me!" Rosalie cried at once, wildly brandishing her sword around in a pathetic attempt to ward him off.

"Oh, you think you can defeat me with that thing? It's a mere angel's plaything; no real power unless it's in the right hands. And you can make it powerful, Rosalie, if you allow yourself to. All you have to do is do what I say."

No!" screamed Rosalie, tightening her grip on Ishmith. "I'm going to do exactly what Mulan wants me to do!"

But the devil simply laughed and ignored her statement. "Now, listen very closely to what I say, girl, for a weighty choice is yours to make. I simply want to do what is in your best interests. You've been given a great power, one that is not to be taken lightly, and in all honesty, it would not be wise to use it for Mulan's purposes."

"Don't you dare tempt her!" Mulan commanded. "Rosalie, you must not listen to him!"  
"Listen to that!" said the devil. "Are you really going to let her order you about like a foolish schoolgirl? You're smarter than that Rosalie, and you have the right to make your own decisions. You don't even have to join me to do so. All you have to do is let your heart guide you."

"I… I may have flaws," Rosalie began, "but in spite of that, I will choose the light every time."

"Ahh, but is there something greater than light?" asked Satan slyly.

"No," said Rosalie firmly in defiance, her eyes two dazzling pinpricks of stars in the face of Lucifier's dark night that had swept the land.

"Not even love?" he asked with a cruel, taunting laugh. "I can already sense the gears turning in your head, forever scheming to get what you want. Despite being the daughter of Jezebel, also remember that the traitorous blood of Judas Iscariot also flows through your veins. And now is the time for you to make a choice, your _own _choice. However, keep in mind that in the end, you and I both know who truly deserves the choice. After all, the truest love is sacrifice."

For a moment, it seemed as if the whole world was standing still in expectation. Every living creature, from the depths of the oceans to the vastness of the skies had their eyes locked on this one little girl, the one person who would tip the balance of good and evil. Mortals, angels, and demons alike all stepped back from the girl to form a loose circle around her, everyone uncertain as to what would happen next. The only sound that could be heard in the silent clearing as the world waited with bated breath was the faint, soothing humming of Ishmith as strands of pure light swirled impatiently in its crystalline prism.

Planting her feet firmly and raising the sword above her head, Rosalie shouted to the world, "I'm going to do what I need to do!"

At that moment, a beam of light sliced through Lucifer's darkness, creating a small hole. From that hole, the very sun of Lexicon, known as Asteria, broke free from its suspension in the sky to slowly glide to earth. The brilliant ball of light began to shrink until it was the size of a marble when it made contact with the tip of the sword. The sword then began to vibrate with a tremendous light and power, and Rosalie knew that it was ready. Raising her eyes to Heaven, she began to raise the sword in a spiraling arch toward the angel in front of her, and maybe if Jenny had not been so spellbound by the sight, she would have noticed the crystal tears leaking from her eyes, shining brighter than any star.

With goodness before her, evil behind her, light in her hands, and darkness in her heart, Rosalie whispered the words that would seal the fate of the entire planet.

_I'm sorry, Mother._

Then she slammed the sword into her chest.

* * *

"Act III: Field of Bleeding Flowers"

There was the awful, bone-chilling scream as the sword, now lifeless after its final use, sliced through human flesh as easily as scissors cutting through paper. Her body collapsed to the ground like a fallen tower of cards. In the once innocent field, flowers of blood blossomed upon the grass, christening this paradise to the gruesome horrors of reality. So too did it evoke this sense of awakening in the girls; even after all they had seen and done, this was the moment where their eyes were truly opened, where all those layers of sweet lies were peeled away to leave them, exposed, broken, with nothing to cling to for reassurance.

And Lucifer simply stood by and watched with pride at his devilry, beaming like a child on Christmas Day.

"Rosalie!" Jenny screamed, running to her side. "Why did you do it?"

"Mulan said the sword can save anyone I love, and I… I wanted to save my brother, Jacob," said Rosalie, gasping desperately for air as tears streamed from her dulling eyes. "I know I don't deserve my life, and he… he did nothing wrong, nothing to deserve the fate he got. I just wanted to make everything all right by committing the ultimate act of selfishness."

"Do you know why light and darkness are balanced?" Rosalie continued. "Lucifer is merely a fallen angel standing against the powers of a God who created the entire universe as well as Lucifer himself. A Created cannot become more powerful than its Creator, so in truth, it is not the devil who creates the balance. No, it is human nature, so twisted and volatile that even with the multitudes of restraints of law, both mortal and divine, cannot be fully overcome, that equals the balance. It is so persistent that without the laws and jurisdictions we set for ourselves, we would be but monsters, and even then, we still are. The worst part is that most of us are blind to our corrupt nature; we delude ourselves into believing it is not our fault, either by denial or forcing the burden and blame of our sins upon someone else. It's true, and I don't want to fight it anymore!" At this, all of Rosalie's fiery defiance dissolved into the rain of her tears and blood as an involuntary spasm attacked her body. "I just wanted to save him," Rosalie whimpered to herself. "My brother…"

At this, there was a glaring light radiating from Ishmith, and when the light faded, there in its place was a young boy, perhaps seven or eight, looking absolutely petrified. Brushing his sandy blonde hair from his face, Jacob let out a terrified, high-pitched scream at the sight of his dying sister.

"Rosie!" Jacob cried, his tears swirling morbidly in the rapidly increasing pool of blood. "No! You weren't supposed to do this!"

"J-Jacob," panted Rosalie, her already fair complexion turning as white as newly fallen snow. "I'm so sorry. I just wanted… to give you what I wanted."

"Bravo, Rosalie!" declared Satan cheerfully. "The possibility for salvation in Lexicon is now officially dead. I always knew you were more closely allied to your forefather."

But Rosalie was completely oblivious to his gloating, too overcome with ecstasy. "Jacob," Rosalie sobbed as she clutched her brother in a fearsome embrace. "You're back."

"Oh yes, him," said the devil with a hint of irritation, as if the boy were nothing more than a trifling, bothersome pet. "Well, I suppose I'll have to take care of him."

With a flick of the serpent's tail, Jacob cried out in agonizing pain as a single steel bullet rocketed through layers upon layers of his skin, arteries, and bones.

"No!" Rosalie screamed, her cries so tortured that it would seem to an outsider as if she was the one hit by the bullet. "How could you?" the girl demanded of Satan. "How could you do this to him?"

"Silly girl, it's the only thing that brings me joy," the devil replied cynically, oblivious and unfeeling toward Rosalie's suffering as she cradled Jacob's limp body in her arms.

Rosalie screamed and screamed, but to her, her cries were silent, for if they were able to be heard, then it would magically reset the clock and send her hurtling through the past, back to a time where all her pain and sorrow and loss was nothing but an easily forgotten dream. Despite her rapid blood loss, her screams became louder and louder as she pleaded for someone, anyone in the universe to hear her, for her cries to shattered the crushing dome of this nightmare and to wake up. No, that wasn't right. She wanted to fall asleep and never wake up, to forever remain her perfect dream world, a place where Jacob was alive and the world was a happy place.

Finally, there came a point where Rosalie's voice cracked and the tears ran dry, forcing her to grieve in silence.

"Don't be sad… Rosie," Jacob croaked.

"Oh Jacob, I'm so scared," Rosalie whispered in reply. "I thought I was ready, that I could handle dying, but now I realize I wasn't even close. I don't think anyone's really ready to die; there's just something about it that's so terrifying."

"Well, that's actually a good thing," Jacob replied, amazingly sounding light-hearted despite the plume of blood slowly spreading across his chest. "People are only scared of the unknown, you know. If you're scared of dying, that means you believe there's some unknown part of what comes next, something besides oblivion. I guess in your own way, it means you believe in God. You're not completely lost."

For awhile, there was a brief pause in the conversation as the world stood still in silent vigilance. The wiki girls were being consoled by Mulan, while Tobey stood apart from the rest as he watched his beloved die, with only Two-Brains as moral support. Somewhere over the course of events, the serpent had slithered away, its wicked mission accomplished. Despite the fact that Rosalie and Jacob were speaking aloud, none of them felt it was right to interrupt. Clearly, this was a moment meant only for them.

As the last vestiges of their lives slipped away, the two siblings hugged each other, trying to say with physical touch what mere words could not express.

"I've… I've done so many horrible things in my life," Rosalie cried, breaking the deafening silence and distracting herself from the ever-shallowing breaths she took. "I want to have time, time to change what I've done. I don't want things to end like this. And what are Mother and Father going to do when we both… when we…"

Jacob pressed a quivering finger to his sister's lips to quell her oncoming hysteria. "Rosie, we've all done things we're ashamed of, even me. I'm not as innocent as you make me out to be. I've done things I'm not proud of, and still you only see the good parts of me because you love me. And if it helps, that's how God sees us, too."

"But it's too late," Rosalie lamented. "I failed. It's all ending."

"Is it?" asked Jacob challenging, casting a glance at the other girls.

These words seemed to give Rosalie a hidden light. With her eyes overflowing with tears, she said, "I'm so sorry, everyone." No other elaboration was needed, for the words themselves rang out with a burning sincerity that could never be denied. Turning to Jenny, she said with a fading smile, "It's all up to you, now. Please don't make the same mistakes I did. Despite what anyone says, know that I have faith in you, for you have something they don't. And please, if you ever get the chance, tell Mom and Dad we love them and we want them to cherish the love they share, because it's all they'll have left of us. Tell them to love each other in the way they love us."

With a satisfied sigh, Rosalie collapsed into the rapidly blurring haze of color and sound her world had become. Her voice barely a whisper, Rosalie begged her brother, "Stay with me."

Tenderly brushing aside her ebony locks of hair, Jacob said, "Always."

"No!" screamed Jenny, losing all composure. "Please, Mulan, you have to do something! It can't end like this, it just can't!"

"I'm sorry, Jenny," said Mulan, taking the distraught girl in her arms. "There's nothing any of us can do."

"Forgive me for this one last act of cruelty," Rosalie said, still locked in her brother's embrace as they drowned in their field of blood roses, "but I want you to know that I don't believe my sacrifice was for nothing. I would give anything to experience this moment all over again."

Jacob smiled, even as they were gathered into Death's cold arms, for the warmth of each other's embrace was stronger than any chill. "Love you, too, Rosie."

"NO!" screamed Jenny with an inhuman moan of sorrow. Tearing herself free of Mulan's arms, she ran, ran away from the cries of her friends, ran away from this entire cruel world in desperate – though Jenny would call it hopeful – search for the one silver of a chance that had any hope of piecing her shattering life back together. She ran for what seemed like miles until it felt as if she had crossed into another plane of reality where the rest of the world could not follow, a plane where the things that existed were the two intertwined corpses lay dreaming in this false paradise. Collapsing to her knees, Jenny desperately tried to grab the blood roses, her last tie to hope and sanity, but their silky petals slipped from her grasp.

Then the rest of time slipped into a haze of screams and cries as Jenny's shattered heart, while engulfed in a field of bleeding flowers, grieved for the wilting of a single winter rose.

* * *

**I killed myself in my own fanfiction! Yikes!**

**Overall, I thought this was a good chapter. The part with Mulan was believable, but the parts with Jezebel and Lucifer came completely out of left field.**

**So, the possible final chapter will come in about a week as usual. See you then!**

**Love to all,**

**Bella**


	15. AUTHOR'S NOTE

**Hi everyone. As you can probably tell, this little blurb won't contain good news.**

**So, I assume some of you are wondering where the next part of my usually weekly updates is. Well, I'm sorry to say that the final chapter will be delayed for about another week. Here's why.**

**Yesterday, I had the misfortune to be in a car crash. Don't worry, everyone was fine except my now demolished car, and I myself only have minor bruises and cuts on my face. However, since I was sitting in the passenger seat during the time of the collision, the airbags completely crushed my glasses. Now, I am very nearsighted and rely heavily on my glasses for many of my daily activities, such as reading, avoiding running into walls, and writing fanfiction. While I am going to be getting new glasses/contacts, the prescription takes about a week to fill.**

**Now, why should this matter to you? Well, without my glasses, I have discovered that reading or writing for long periods of time puts a considerable amount of strain on my eyes. And since I have decided to endure a week of school (and deciphering pages upon pages of textbooks with my awful vision), I have also reluctantly decided that it will probably be the best for me if I keep any unnecessary reading and writing to a minimum until I get glasses/contacts. With three novels awaiting me on my nightstand and the final scenes of the chapter dying to be written, combined with the frustration of having to go through my days with everything looking worse than the 240p quality on Youtube, the week will undoubtedly prove to be absolute torture for me. I'm very sorry and know it's cruel to delay the final chapter another week, but it simply can't be helped.**

**Love to all,**

**Bella**


	16. Rise of the Elements

**Happy St. Patrick's Day! With 25% Irish blood flowing proudly in my veins and my city being legendary for this holiday, combined with my new glasses allowing me to see the world in HD again, I think this qualifies for a celebration in the form of Part 1 of the finale! Before we get started, I would just like to thank everyone for your kind words in response to my author's note. It truly touched me to know that you all care for the wellbeing of some random girl on the internet. And now, let's get started!**

* * *

For an unknown amount of moments, Jenny simply stared in silent horror below her at the pairs of green and blue eyes, once shining with a light from within now extinguished and dull from Death's unforgiving scythe. Their color was faded and chalky, like Jenny's paints when left open for too long. They didn't even look like eyes anymore, for their unseeing crystal orbs no longer reflected the world around them, despite having a sibling in their direct line of sight. However, Jenny could hardly be surprised. Souls reflected souls, not these stale husks masquerading as human beings. It was as though a flickering candle had been blown out and the shutters of the soul's windows were barred shut as its resident moved to a new home, leaving its old one derelict and abandoned.

These abandoned eyes seemed to taunt Jenny with their cold, unfeeling stares, though proper malice was lacking. They were accusatory, but most of it was lost in the tide of lamentation. _Jenny, why didn't you do something? _they cried. _You could've saved us; you would have found a way. Did you somehow think this was the fate we deserved, to die in this wretched land at the hands of the devil himself? Did you think you were somehow superior to us, that our lives would be better suited in your hands? Answer us!_

And it was at this moment when Jenny truly felt a flare of pure malice, not directed at the two dead children before her, but of the true instigator, not Satan, but a deeper embodiment of him: Miss Power. It was her who had put Jenny's once tranquil life through endless strife and agony, her who had kidnapped WordGirl, and ultimately albeit indirectly, the one who had brought about Rosalie and Jacob's demise. But more than that, there was the guilt of their death that should not fall to Jenny, but rather coil its way like a noose around Miss Power. Jenny realized that all wickedness ultimately tied back to her, and the full wave of what an abominable evil Miss Power truly was crashed down upon her, nearly crushing the wind from her lungs.

_I will not let this go unpunished, _Jenny vowed angrily as the flames of vengeance meticulously began to wind around her heart. _For everyone's sake, I will make sure that Miss Power pays for her crimes with the only price adequate: her life._

_Even if it costs me mine._

"Jenny?" called a worried voice that echoed in the dark recesses of her mind. "Jenny!"

These calls pulled Jenny out of her drowning abyss of despair at the hands of the corpses and the hatred at the hands of the flames. Turning around, she saw her newfound friends surrounding her, and although mere days had consisted of their friendship, Jenny could not possibly imagine her world without them. Then, suddenly unable to bear it anymore, Jenny momentarily pushed aside her anger and latched hold onto a surprised Syrena, and with the last vestigies of her self-control being thrown out the window, let the dams behind her eyes crash and burn.

Some people say that there are some scenarios so wretched that tears can't do anything to levitate the pain, but Jenny learned that even situations like this are never too terrible to cry. And so she did cry, weeping until it felt as though every drop of moisture had been wrung from her body, leaving her a shriveled up raisin. And even then, as she cried, Jenny felt the morbid, overwhelming urge to laugh at the unbearable solemnity of this moment. As much as she tried not to, the laughter bubbled into hiccupping giggles, and so Jenny collapsed into a crying and laughing heap of hysteria.

As she mourned, however, Jenny suddenly felt the embraces of one, then two, then a multitude of embraces as Kerry, Syrena, WordGirl, Tobey, Two-Brains, and even Mulan grieved in one, unified hug. They gripped each other like lifelines, and in that very moment, Jenny felt more comforted than she thought possible. There were no flimsy, placating words like 'I'm sorry' or 'It'll be okay,' for both of those were meaningless. Instead, there was the simple, undeniable truth that someone in the world was feeling the exact same pain, and for Jenny, it was as though each person in that group helped take away a tiny piece of the stone crushing her heart until finally, she could breathe again.

"I know this is painful for all of you," Mulan stated once everyone had regained composure. "But we can't forget about our mission. Now that Ishmith's power has died, it will up to Jenny, Kerry, and Syrena to save this world."

"Us?" asked Syrena in disbelief. "But what can we do?"

"You three girls represent the innate attributes of human nature's goodness that can be used to defeat Miss Power once and for all."

Turning to Syrena, Mulan said to her, "You, Syrena are the Element of Light. This is the light that illuminates our world with joy and optimism, the kind of light that can repel any darkness with the sheer, blissful happiness of being alive."

"N-no," stuttered Syrena, backing away in denial. "No, that's not me. Kerry can tell you, I'm constantly moody, and I cry practically everyday."

Mulan reassuringly placed her hand upon Syrena's shoulder. "I understand, Syrena. For such a long time, something's been obscuring that beautiful light, but for the sake of everyone you've ever cared for, you need to shine through. And to do that, you need to put the past behind you and look towards the future. Forget about what you can't do today, because you can do it tomorrow. That's one of the beautiful things about tomorrow, because it can always be a little better, a little lighter, than today."

Then addressing Kerry, she said, "And you, Katrina, are the Element of Hope, the guiding force that lifts us from our darkest hours, a strength that not even all the powers of evil can extinguish. It is a power so great that it causes us to wholeheartedly believe in absolutely nothing but our own will."

"I don't understand," Kerry said. "I just…"

"My dear, in order to have hope, you must have faith. I know that you slave away in the dreams of constructing the perfect, ideal future for yourself according to your own design. And while this is no fault on your part, you must come to realize that not all things in life can be neatly scheduled to our whims. Sometimes, it takes the greatest strength of will to let go of all control, take a leap of faith against all the odds, and surrender ourselves wholly and completely to the forces above."

"And finally, you, my dear," Mulan said to Jenny, "possess the Element of Love, the element that is essentially humanity's only redemptive trait. There are many different kinds of love, whether it be the love of family, the love of a neighbor, or the love of a destined one. But what you must come to learn, Jennifer, is the love of the enemy, perhaps the greatest kind of love."

"And one," added Mulan thoughtfully, "you seem to be struggling with, my dear."

Jenny looked away in shame as she experienced one of those disturbing experiences of feeling as though that angel could peer into the depths of her very soul.

"I know that in light of these recent events, this will not come easy to you. However, it is one thing to love one who bears a piece of your heart; it is another to love one who chips it away. If you wish to succeed, you must not surrender yourself to vengeance and hatred as Rosalie did. I fear you are following in her footsteps, Jenny."

"What? What do you mean?"

Without any further prompting, Mulan snapped her fingers, at once creating a shimmering projection of Rosalie in her garden and apparently storming away in anger. Of course, WordGirl recognized this scene all too well. It was directly after Rosalie had raged at WordGirl for her cowardice and then stormed away in fury after her pride had been shattered via a crushing punch to the face courtesy of the alien herself. Rosalie's bitter vow rang clearly throughout the valley as she whispered her promise to the galaxies above: "_I swear to God, you'll regret that for the rest of your life. Even if it costs me mine."_

At this, Jenny's mind was reeling in shock as those final words resonated inside her head, although said not in Rosalie's voice, but in her own.

"In the beginning, I expected Rosalie to become the Element of Love," Mulan continued. "Between her steadfast love for her brother, the openness to receive love from others, and the tender compassion in her heart, she displayed a devout affinity to it. However, it was ultimately her pride that distanced herself from this element. Try as she might, she was unable to let go of her desire for vengeance until it consumed her entirely. She also believed that her intellect surpassed love, something meant for fools, and that to surrender herself to it would be foolish when she could take advantage of it so easily. So blinded was she by hatred and her own righteousness that she couldn't see the truth. I beg you, Jenny, for our sakes, do not succumb to these things."

Suddenly, a rumbling laughter blasted from seemingly everywhere, from every crevice of rock and every blade of grass as if the entire world was mocking this ridiculous sentiment. Then, there was awful shuddering as the very sky splintered apart like fragile china, with the jagged fragments dissipating into oblivion as a swirling dark vortex stretched across the void horizon.

"Oh no," Mulan breathed in horror. "She's broken through."

"Haha, right you are, Mulan," announced Miss Power as she descended from what was formerly the sky with a air of grandeur and triumph. "What, not happy to see me?" she added in a mock tone of hurt at the sight of Mulan's glare shooting daggers dipped in venomous spite.

"Honestly, I can't say I am, Vultora," said Mulan in reply as she spread her mechanical wings in an instinctive form of defense. "Forgive me if I hold a grudge and all, but returning back home to murder your mother, sister, and enslave your homeworld with power you harnessed from the devil? It's slightly unpleasant for me. I do hope you understand."

"Oh, you angels, you're no fun at all," chided Miss Power. "I simply traded my weakness to Lexonite for unlimited strength, that's all. You make it sound far more malicious than it is, although with your flair for dramatics, I should have expected it. I'm simply here to reclaim what's mine."

"And have a little family reunion while I'm on business," she added as an afterthought as she spotted WordGirl, rooted to the ground in fear, in the crowd. Blurring at the speed of light to her sister's side, she greeted, "Why, hello, Alexandria! I'm sorry to cut all the pleasantries, but I'm afraid this family reunion is going to be quite brief." And with that, the alien dictator clasped both hands violently around her sister's neck.

WordGirl kicked and flailed and thrashed about wildly in Miss Power's iron grip in a desperate attempt to get free, but to no avail. Her face blended into a rainbow of disturbing colors, from splotchy red to obtrusive purple to ashen gray as more and more oxygen slipped past her lips with each rasping cough.

"Can't… breathe…" she choked out, tears rapidly swelling in her eyes.

"Oh, sister, you're just so cute when you're dying," Miss Power teased in a light-hearted manner that must have taken years to master as she grew ever more desensitized to the violence she inflicted. "Now, listen closely. I'm going to give you two options: either surrender your power completely to me or die. It's just that simple."

"She'll never surrender to you!" Mulan cried out in defiance as she launched her body like a human battering ram in between the two struggling Lexiconians. Her razor-sharp gears rent open a jagged gash in Miss Power's arm, causing her to cry out in pain as she loosed her grip on WordGirl for the briefest of moments. It was in this split second of time that WordGirl tore herself away from Miss Power and Mulan commanded the group:

"If you stop, you die, so run like hell."

* * *

And so they ran. Onward they charged blindly through this perfect paradise, a paradise which at the moment seemed to mock them with each jubilant birdsong as it turned a blind eye to their grave plight, instead choosing to focus upon the happy naivety of life. They wandered blindly through the dark due to the glaring lack of sky and sun, with only the faint golden glow of WordGirl and the silvery gleam of Mulan's clockwork wings as they flew overhead as guidance. Every gulp of air burned their throats raw with the same fire assaulting their weary legs and lungs, but they didn't dare stop. Every time Jenny's sprinting began to slow, she imagined the swift, almost soundless swoosh of Miss Power and the cut off, gurgling scream that would soon follow along with the dull thud of her head as it hit the ground without a body attached. It was these gruesome thoughts that urged them on until each person was screaming in torturous pain as their cries mingled with those of Miss Power as she moaned somewhere in the far distance while cradling her mutilated arm. They screamed and screamed, although whether it was from physical exhaustion, terror from visions of their doom, or simply the overwhelm sense of panic as their world spiraled out of control into fraying threads of insanity, they could never be sure. They simply ran, with Kerry and Syrena morphing into their unicorn and wolf forms mid-stride, leaving the remaining two-legged humans to try desperately to keep up.

In her heart, Jenny knew that no matter how fast they ran, they would never be able to escape. And assuredly, she was right. A brilliant streak of cobalt soared through the nonexistent sky only to fade into pitch-black darkness as the alien hovered to a stop. She could not be seen, but Jenny felt with terror that she was right next to her, whispering menacingly in her ear as the mouse ran in its futile attempts to escape the cat.

"Oh, you're just too amusing," she trilled as if she were watching a family comedy from her living room couch. "I'm not going to kill you now, not just yet. First, why don't we have a bit of fun?"

As soon as the words left her lips, there was the furious trembling of the ground as bits and pieces began to give way to oblivion. The girls were then forced to rush madly around the vast gaps of earth, shrieking as they narrowly escaped plunging to their deaths while Miss Power laughed at it all.

"We're never going to make it!" Tobey screamed over the thunderous rumbling of yet another patch of earth giving way.

"Oh yes, we will!" shouted Syrena in a furious reply. "I'm not going to give into her!"

"But we can't just keep running!" Kerry pointed out matter-of-factly.

"We just need to form a strategy," Syrena replied. "Come on, everyone, think! What can we do? There has to be something!"

"Wait, wasn't there some sort of crystal city in the distance?" asked Two-Brains. "If we get there, maybe there will be Lexiconians who can help us!"

"But we'll never get there!" Tobey exclaimed miserably. "We have no clue where we're going! It's too dark; we can't see a thing! It's no use; we're going to die!"

_He's right, _Syrena thought to herself. _Come on, Syrena, think! You can't stop now! You can't give up. You're not going to die, you're not going to die, you're not going to die! You just need to get to that city! You just need to get some light…_

Then, her mind instantly replayed Mulan's words to her. "_You, Syrena are the Element of Light. This is the light that illuminates our world with joy and optimism, the kind of light that can repel any darkness with the sheer, blissful happiness of being alive." _

But how could she do that? For goodness sakes, the entire world was falling down around her; of course she wasn't going to make it. None of them were. The odds were just too long with stakes that were far too high. This would be the place where she died.

_But if you truly believe that, _asked the wise little voice inside her head, _then why are you still running?_

Then it hit her crystal clear. The voice was right. Deep inside, there was a part of her that was clinging desperately to the slim possibility that she could live simply because the desire to live another day was so intense that she felt as though she would burn up from it. As she ran faster and faster until she was nothing but a gray blur, she realized that in spite of all the strife and grievance in her life, there were still some bright moments that made it better and all the more memorable and meaningful simply because they were so few and far-between. And then there were all the things she'd never fully appreciated before, and it all piled up, all those moments that made life wonderful, until Syrena felt as though there was a radiant light shining comfortingly at the end of a long, dark tunnel. As she ran, the light grew brighter and brighter; she could feel it glistening off her fur, flickering in front of her closed eyes like a tiny sun—wait, what?

Eyes jolting open, Syrena looked down at herself in sheer amazement. Her entire fur coat, once a drab gray, was now glowing with a magical golden aura, so beautiful and breathtaking that she had to almost tear herself away. The light refracted into a thousand directions into a million beams of light, and as they shone upon the empty sky, they seemed to almost cling to the barren horizon to form countless shimmering stars, lighting their path to the great crystal beacon of light in the distance.

"Holy ****!" exclaimed Syrena in shock. "How on earth did I do that?"

"It's your special gift, my dear," replied Mulan simply, with an approving smile.

"There's the—" Jenny swerved to avoid a gaping chasm, "—crystal city!" she exclaimed excitedly as she put on more speed as they began to near the threshold of the city limits. "We're going to make it!"

"Mulan and I are going to go on ahead, if that's okay with you," said WordGirl from above. "We'll see if there's anyone in the city who can help us. Come on, Mulan! Wooooord up!" **(That was for you, Mysteriously. :D)**

"Ahhhhh!" screamed a terrified voice behind them. Jenny and Syrena swiveled around to see Kerry, her unicorn hooves pawing nervously at the ground as she skidded backwards, just barely escaping a plummet into a chasm the size of a city block that stretched on for miles without end. Her shimmering bronze mane was snarled into a hopeless mess by a vortex of hurricane-speed wind originating from the ravine that threatened to suck her in.

"Kerry!" screamed Jenny worriedly. "We have to help her somehow!"

"There's no way we can get across to help her," Syrena said forlornly. "This is obviously Miss Power's doing."

Then, seeing no other option, Jenny marched toward the very edge of the ravine.

"Kerry!" she yelled over the howling wind, "You're going to have to try to jump across!"

"Are you insane?" she hollered back. "That abyss is ten times longer than my house! There's no way I'll make it!"

"Please!" Jenny cried, "You have to trust me! I can't explain why, but something's telling in my heart that you'll be alright!"

"But that makes no sense!" shouted Kerry. "You two will have to just go on without me. I'm sorry, but I just… I just can't."

"No, we're not leaving you! We need you! _I _need you! Please, Kerry, just trust me! You have to take a leap of faith!"

"_Sometimes, it takes the greatest strength of will to let go of all control, take a leap of faith against all the odds, and surrender ourselves wholly and completely to the forces above."_

_Right, _Kerry coached herself, taking deep breaths in an attempt to calm her racing heart, _You can do this, but you can't have any doubt. If there's any hesitation, I won't be able to get full force. _Trying not to think about the mile-long drop below her, Kerry kicked off from the ground and squeezing her eyes tightly shut, launched herself with full force as all reason was thrown to the wind.

Sure enough, she felt herself slowly being sucked down into the vortex, just as she'd predicted. As she felt gravity take over, she willed herself to not panic, even though at this point, she was bawling hysterically. _It'll be okay, it'll be okay! Oh please, God, just let me live!_

Kerry felt the little bubble of hope kindle to life as for a brief moment of insanity, she truly believed that she could indeed reach the other side, that she could plant herself on firm ground and truly be alright.

But then, this naïve faith shattered as she felt her entire back being sliced open, most likely due to scraping against the side of a jagged rock as she fell farther and farther into the ravine. At this point, the only possible way out would be to break physics and somehow fall up instead of down, a feat that, even with magic, she knew was impossible.

_No! _a voice inside of her cried. _This isn't going to be the end, not now! There has to be a way! I just have to think…_

But it was impossible to focus between the searing pain in her back, the deafening screech of the wind, and the furious hammering of her heart. It felt as though her entire mind had been scrambled into a hopeless mass of disjointed thoughts with no coherence. For the first time in her life, she simply could not think.

But maybe thinking wasn't the answer. If she was supposed to take a leap of faith, then there was simply nothing she could do, and thinking about possible ways wouldn't help her in the slightest. So, blocking out the howling wind and the screams of her friends, she tried to let her mind go completely blank.

Amazingly, all the stress of the situation immediately seemed to be lifted from her shoulders, making her feel lighter than air. It was a morbid acceptance, not one of defeat, but instead that feeling of finally letting go of the dice to await the verdict, a verdict that had every chance of being good than of being bad. And yet, while the possibility of death was still very real to Kerry, in her heart, she believed with a blind hope that everything would work out in the end, despite her insistent thoughts telling her otherwise. Her thoughts, while still there, felt disjointed and surprisingly unimportant, like fruit flies buzzing around her face. Still, after what felt like hours, though it was really only the briefest of seconds, it became harder and harder to ignore the steadily numbing pain in her back. The wind repeatedly struck it as it strained against a jarring friction while it rose steadily upward…

Twisting her head around in confusion, Kerry saw that from her unicorn back, a pair of shimmering bronze wings had burst forth and were now grandly unfurled as powerful muscles effortlessly guided each feather. As she flew higher and higher, she could feel new nerves and ligaments grow and shape in her brand new wings. Pointing her head upward for aerodynamics, Kerry gave another powerful beat of her wings, causing her to propel forward at incredible speed. She gave a whoop of joy at the exhilaration of the wind slashing through her fur coat as higher and higher she soared until she emerged from the abyss with the glorious grandeur of the divine.

**(Incoming My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic references in 3… 2… 1.)**

Even after clearing the abyss, Kerry couldn't bear to let the moment end just yet. As she rose to meet the stars, she looked down and saw to her delight a rainbow trailing behind her, created from sheer speed. _No way, _Kerry thought excitedly, _This is going to be awesome! _Knowing exactly what to do, Kerry descended into a downward arch. The air around her hummed with electricity as she prepared to break the laws of physics. Streamlining her body for maximum performance, the light around her grew whiter and whiter until she was slicing through the atmosphere. Finally, when she had reached near impossible speed, Kerry sharply curved out of the dive, and in her wake, a stunning rainbow circle radiated throughout the landscape accompanied by a thunderous sonic boom. With one final flourish, Kerry landed gracefully in front of her agape, speechless friends with a look that just spelled awesome.

"Wow, Kerry!" said Syrena once she found her voice. "A sonic rainboom! _And _you're an alicorn!" she added with a gesture toward her friend's pegasus wings and unicorn horn. "Does this mean you're a princess now?"

"Ooh, someone sing the song!" said Jenny excitedly. Then, adopting a horribly off-key singing voice, she sang, "'_You've come such a long, long way. And I've watched you from that very first day—"_

"That won't be necessary," Kerry said quickly, interrupting Jenny's less than perfect rendition of Celestia's Ballad.

"I wonder if you'll get a kingdom to rule over!" said Syrena.

"We'll just have to wait until Season 4 comes out to see." Kerry sighed at the prospect of waiting.

"But wait, we're six months ahead in this reality," said Syrena. "It's December now, so that means Season 4 of My Little Pony is halfway done!"

"But wait, it's December _2012,_" reminded Kerry. "Which means Season 3's hasn't even been shown! We shouldn't even know about the finale!"

"But this story is being written in 2013," said Syrena, growing more confused by the minute. "So is it really 2014?"

"Ugh, I _hate_ distorting the properties of time!" Jenny burst out, frustrated.

"Um, I hate to interrupt this rather random and confusing conversation," said Tobey pompously and rather brashly, "but if you ladies would turn your attention to the skies, you'd see that we have more important things to discuss than a whimsical television program aimed at 5-year-old girls."

And sure enough, WordGirl and Mulan touched down from the skies and from the looks on their faces, greatly troubled by their reconnaissance flight.

"What did you find?" asked Two-Brains apprehensively, eyeing the apparent tear streaks on the Lexiconian's face and the creases of worry on the angel's.

"Well one thing's for sure," said WordGirl, her voice slightly shaking from emotion, "We're not going to get any help here."

"Why?" asked Jenny, dreading what could possibly cause the two of them to be so shaken up.

"It's hard to explain," said the angel solemnly. "It's better if you come and see for yourselves."

After a few-minute trek in which everyone shot each other wary, questioning, furtive glances as a means of silently communicating their discomfort and dread over Mulan's tight-lipped behavior, they arrived at the verge of entering the city.

"Brace yourself," WordGirl whispered to Jenny as Mulan pulled back the final gnarled plant shielding the view of the city.

Jenny gasped.

The entire crystal city was loitered with droves of unconscious Lexiconians. There were bodies crumpled in the streets, slumped over tables, and collapsed in doorways as though the entire population had fallen asleep in the middle of their daily routine. Despite having no visible injuries, it felt to Jenny as if she had stumbled into the aftermath of a violent battle. Even without the obvious abnormality of having unconscious bodies scattered in the streets, there was an eerie sense of things just being… off. The light twisted and refracted morbidly off the crystalline structures as if it had been distorted through a film of darkness. Every single face was plastered into an expression of absolute terror. As they walked in speechless shock through the city, a chilling silence unlike anything ever experienced hung over their heads, a silence that could only be explained when Jenny knelt down to examine one of the bodies and then another, until she came to a horrifying conclusion.

Not a single heart in the city was beating.

* * *

**Cliffhanger alert! Oh, how I've missed these! Have fun thinking about it all this week!**

**Love to all,**

**Bella**


	17. A Higher State of Beauty

**Happy Friday everyone! I updated early this time! I have to be at Living Stations of the Cross in 15 minutes, so I'll keep this brief. As always, I wrote far more than I intended, so this is not the end; however, I promise you it will be next chapter! Even if it's 20 pages long, I'll end it there. But for now, let's begin with the chapter!**

* * *

"Oh God," breathed Jenny as they wandered through the silent ghost town. "What _happened_ to these people?"

"I didn't think Miss Power could do anything like this," Syrena thought aloud once she had turned into her human form.

"She has power far greater than conceivable," Mulan stated bluntly. "However, this is due more to stealth than raw power. This is the capital city of Lexicon, Eshka-Vallisto, and incidentally, Miss Power's home city." Pointing to a shimmering spire, she continued, "That spire controls equilibrium in the city and serves as protective shield spreading across the surrounding area and is powered by feeding off the citizens' life force. Right now, the shield is up, putting the entire city in a state of suspended animation. They aren't dead, but they're not alive, either, I'm afraid."

"So that's why Miss Power didn't follow us," Kerry, now human, pointed out. "We were inside the protection field when it was activated, leaving her on the outside."

"It also explains why that vortex appeared," added Syrena. "It must have been a way to keep intruders from entering Eshka-Vallisto."

"Does any of that really matter?" asked Jenny, her voice high-pitched with worry and anxiety. "What about these people? Can they get themselves out of this state?"

"They can," began Mulan slowly, choosing her words carefully, "but they will not unless they feel there is need to keep the shield running, unless they truly want to return to their previous state of consciousness."

"Then if that's the case, is there some way we can tell them to wake up and fight with us instead?"

"Oh Jenny," said Mulan patronizingly, although rather sadly. "You must understand that Lexiconians are immortal. Most of them have lived for thousands of eons, seen a million horrors, done things that in retrospect, they horribly regret. There comes a point in this hopeless existence that these mistakes are too much too bear, that nothing really matters anymore in the grand scheme of the universe, that life isn't really worth it anymore, and they wish for a way out, any way at all. This state of suspended animation would be considered a blessed release for them, and many, if not all, would rather stay this way for all of eternity."

Once her mind had absorbed this information, Jenny shook her head in defiance, not out of denial, but rather, in disagreement to what Mulan was implying. From the way she said it, it was clear that Mulan believed there was no hope for the Lexiconians. But Jenny knew better. They needed these people, and she wasn't about to give up now. After all, no one was truly a lost cause.

Stepping away from the crowd, Jenny scanned the mass of unconscious aliens. Eventually, she settled for a young Lexiconian girl dressed in a simple white and gold gown. It seemed that Lexiconians had the ability to genetically alter their appearance, for her creme complexion was flawless and her hair enhanced with a special chemical that made the golden locks shimmer. She could feel the eyes of her friends boring holes into the back of her skull as she knelt down by the girl, but she tuned it all out in order to do… well, whatever she was going to do.

Cradling the girl in her arms, Jenny brushed locks of ivory hair away from the girl's face as she contemplated what to do next. Figuring it would be easier to focus, Jenny let her eyes flicker closed, and as she did so, all her other senses instantly shut off, leaving Jenny drifting serenely in a swirling void of her own consciousness, blissfully cool and calm and quiet.

_Okay, now what? _Jenny thought to herself, with absolutely no idea what to do next. "Um, who are you?" she asked aloud, thinking to herself that she sounded positively stupid.

_No, that's not the way to think, _she admonished herself. _It'll never work if you don't take it seriously. You know what to do; you just have to let yourself do it. _

_Okay, I can do this, _Jenny thought to herself encouragingly.

_Good. Now relax. Focus. Think about what you want. Don't be flippant about it. Let your desire be so intense that it fills your entire being. Make it your entire world._

_Okay, I've got this. _Taking a deep breath, Jenny asked more confidently, her words vibrating with emotion, _Who are you?_

Nothing.

_Focus on what the words mean, _instructed the voice inside her head. _Take it from the physical level and transcend it to the spiritual level. Let the two souls become one._

_But how am I supposed to do that? _asked Jenny. _Intertwine souls? She's a stranger to me!_

_Then change that, _the voice said impatiently. _Start with what you know and work upwards. That's the only way you'll ever be able to form a connection. Now, start again. Ask her Who. She. Is._

Suddenly, Jenny's mind seared with a memory, the moment Two-Brains began to recounted Jessamine's tale:

_"Her full name is Jessamine Madeline Lovelace," he stated tonelessly. "Does that answer your question?"_

_"No, I want to know who she is to you, what she means to you."_

_"Why do you even care?"_

_"Because you cared for her and she cared for you, and for some reason, I want to care about you, too."_

Suddenly, everything was so clear, and Jenny knew exactly what to do.

_Well, I know she's a girl, _Jenny began. _She may not be human like me, but she's a lot like one. She has fear and doubts, just like me. But she has hopes and dreams, too. Beautiful dreams, dreams of light and hope and love. But right now, she's scared out of her mind. I've been scared, too. She's lost and confused. She probably thinks she's happy, too, but she's not. She feels empty, like someone's gouged out her insides. But it's not all gone. She went into lockdown mode because she wanted to protect her friends and family. She does care for someone. She does have love._

And it was at that moment that Jenny felt an amazing surge of energy coursing through her veins like fire, an energy that could only be described as ecstasy and liquid sunlight. The air around hummed with that selfsame aura, and Jenny realized with a shock that it was the presence of another soul.

_Who are you? _Jenny asked for the third time.

Immediately, Jenny felt the shaky tremor of another mind cautiously probing the edge of her consciousness. Grabbing hold of the connection, Jenny allowed her mind to open up and let the mind enter her own. The air around her bent and reshaped itself like clay until it formed the Lexiconian girl in Jenny's arms.

"I am Amoratta of Eshka-Vallisto in the Fifth Providence of Planet Lexicon," said the girl as she shone with a stunning golden light. "And you?"

"I'm Jenny from Planet Earth," she replied shyly, awed by this girl's mystical beauty, more lovely than anything from the physical realm. Though they spoke in words, the true meaning of those words were also conveyed in flashes of images, thoughts, and emotions bouncing back and forth from them like a current.

"Then you are human?" questioned Amoratta with surprise. Flashes of a swirling green-blue orb, unkempt homes of filth, and the overall sense of primitiveness enveloped Jenny's mind. "It takes great deal of mental strength for even a Lexiconian to communicate in such a profound manner; I believed that such an achievement would be impossible for a human. I commend you. Now, why have you contacted me?"

"There's a problem in the outside world," Jenny explained quickly. "Miss Power-, er," Jenny paused, uncertain if Amoratta would understand who she was referring to.

"Vultora Theia, former heiress to the throne of Lexicon," Amoratta supplemented.

"Yeah, her," Jenny amended, "She's outside, trying to destroy your entire planet, and we need everyone to wake up and stop her—"

"You are a foolish girl," Amoratta interrupted bluntly, "if you believe you or anyone else can stand against her. For quite some time, Vultora was able to force this entire planet into submission. In service of Shamnan, the Evil One, her powers have increased until she essentially has the power of a god. You have no chance, and the only reason you think you do is because you are not dead yet, when in fact, she is simply manipulating your mind. If she willed it, she could snap her fingers and your heart would stop, so great is her power. Your resistance is an admirable yet hopeless attempt."

"Well, that's just what you're doing!" Jenny countered. "You've put up a shield around the city to keep her out."

"You can see into my thoughts, child," Amoratta pointed out. "Surely, you are not so dense as to realize that defending Eshka-Vallisto is not our primary reason for forcing ourselves into this state."

"You did it because you want to die," Jenny said solemnly. "You don't care about life anymore. You want to just throw it all away."

"You say it as though I should be ashamed," Amoratta said disdainfully. "I have lived for hundreds of years and have committed every sin conceivable in the process. I have lied, cheated, stolen, and murdered, just to name a few. What makes you think that there is anything left worth saving?"

"B-because…" stuttered Jenny, scrambling for the right words.

"My life has become so stale and bitter as the same tedious cycle repeats day after day without any hope of ending; surely, I shall go mad if it continues. I am sorry, but I simply cannot bear it anymore."

"No," Jenny rebuked. "You're not ready yet because you haven't found what makes your life meaningful."

"I beg to differ," Amoratta retaliated, affronted. "I have created the GenonaXBS ray, published a series of novels, and have been bestowed the honor of being one of Queen Islanzadi's prominent advisors in forming the New Lexicon Republic. I have spent 873 years working tirelessly with blood, sweat, and tears to achieve my goals. What else is there?"

"But none of that matters to you in the long run," stated Jenny. It wasn't a question. "You've achieved your dreams, but now, you've run out of road. Those accomplishments only gave you instant gratification; now, you feel empty inside."

"Exactly," Amoratta said. "Everything in this world will never last forever; why should I, or any other Lexiconian, have to endure a life that means nothing?"

"You're right, you shouldn't," conceded Jenny. "And I'm not saying you have to continue living forever. There will come a time when life needs to end, but now, you're trying to end it for the wrong reasons. Life should be only completed because you've found its true purpose, not because you haven't. If you just think—"

"But all I have done is think for hundreds of years!" Amoratta lamented. "Do you have any idea what a burden it is to think, to feel? If only I was not wise enough to learn, to remain an ignorant, naïve, foolish child such as yourself. I would have stopped my addiction to knowledge before it consumed me, for I did not know that there would come a time where the heavy weight of knowledge would crush me, when every burdensome fact would overload my mind and destroy me? And now, when I have at last found an escape to it all, you have the audacity to stop me?"

To this, she had no answer. Jenny hung her head in silence as she perished under Amoratta's intense gaze, her words cutting like a knife. And though she collapsed the bottom of this ethereal plane in defeat, she refused to let the tears fall, refused to submit to weakness. Forsaken, Jenny simply closed her eyes to shut out the world just as Amoratta wanted. What was she really fighting for? Did she even understand what she was saying? Was Amoratta right in wanting to let go of the world? What was even the point anymore? Questions and thoughts bombarded Jenny's mind, scraping with bone-chilling screeches like nails on a chalkboard as they tore away at Jenny's hope. She had come in confident in her beliefs, but now, all that was left was doubt. Slowly, she felt Amoratta's soul slip from the recesses of her mind, and Jenny knew it was the end. She had failed. Her aching heart pushed all other thoughts from her mind as she grieved, grieved for Lexicon, her friends, and most of all, herself for failing as the Element of Love, just as Rosalie did. Oh, how her heart ached…

"Maybe thinking's not the answer," Jenny whispered softly as Amoratta began to break the connection. "Maybe you just need to follow your heart."

At this, Amoratta suddenly turned around to face Jenny. Reaching – quite literally - into her chest, she extracted a charred, mutated, and blackened lump of… well, what it was was anyone's guess. She cradled the object in her arms, her eyes filled with sorrow.

"How can I follow my heart," Amoratta asked in a much less commanding, almost child-like tone, "when it is dead?"

Moved with compassion, Jenny moved toward the sorrowing girl until mere inches separated them. Jenny's hands gently brushed the broken, fragile heart, as if asking Amoratta's permission. When the Lexiconian's grip slackened, Jenny took the heart in her hands. The heart quivered and trembled pitifully, like an abandoned child shivering in the alley of a cold, unforgiving world.

Just by holding it, Jenny could tell that it had once been a beautiful thing, but time, sin, and guilt had masked it to the point of being unrecognizable. As her fingertips brushed against the soot, she saw glimpses of horrendous crimes, most done with little remorse until far afterwards. Looking up, Jenny saw Amoratta staring at the ground in shame, her hands balled into fists as she suppressed the urge to cry.

"You can fix this, you know," Jenny said reassuringly, stretching out her hand in a gesture of comfort. "I can show you how. It'll be painful for you, but it's the only way to save what was lost."

Amoratta nodded her head and taking Jenny's hand, let the human child guide her. Amoratta flinched as her fingers touched the heart and her head was suddenly filled with the memory of pushing a girl into the dirt and laughing at her embarrassment.

"No, I don't want to do this anymore," Amoratta said, reeling away from the heart.

"Remember, it's all in the past now," Jenny reminded comfortingly. "But now's the time to face it. Now talk to me. Tell about that memory and why it hurt."

"L-Luce was always the oddball," Amoratta began. "She never fit in with anyone, just because she was too nice. We all hated her for it. That day, I wanted to prove to myself that I wasn't an oddball like her and to feel that I belonged."

"But you regret that now, don't you?"

"Y-yes," Amoratta stammered, letting salty tears trickle down her cheeks. As the tears dripped onto the heart, some of the soot was miraculously washed away into ashes, revealing a section of rosy red amidst the black.

For what seemed to be hours, although time was nonexistent in this realm, Amoratta continued to delve deeper and deeper into the darkness of her heart. Many times, what she unearthed caused her to go into hysteria; clearly, there were things in her past that she wanted to push aside. But Jenny was there to comfort her and coach her through the pain. Jenny wished there was some way she could lift the burden from Amoratta, but she knew that this was something she had to do on her own. Eventually, though, the layers of hurt and jealously and pride and vengeance melted away, leaving a cleansed heart once more, gentle and pure.

"Something's not right," Amoratta said worriedly.

And there was something not right, for in the very core of the glowing heart, there resided a single speck of darkness pulsating morbidly.

"I think it's…" Jenny trailed off, probing the darkness with a strange curiosity and foreboding, "hate. There's someone you hate very much, Amoratta. Who is it?"

"Vultora," Amoratta spat. "And please, Jenny, do not ask me to let go of that. That is too much for you to ask. I am within my every right to despise her, the devil she is. She destroyed my planet, my family, and everything that ever had meaning to me. Please, just allow me this."

"But it's still hate," Jenny reprimanded.

"No, it's righteous anger," Amoratta retaliated. "Admit it, Jenny: There are just some people in this world that are beyond saving, people who cannot be loved. I know. Even you, the self-proclaimed Element of Love, hate Vultora."

"It's true in a way," Jenny admitted in a softer, more understanding tone. "I did and still do hate Miss Power. I mean, it's not like that's going to go away. Hate's just a part of being human, I guess. But I'm not about to let that blind me, control me, and eat away my love like a poison. It will always be there, but I have to be the one to overcome it and be better than that. After all, even though it seems impossible to believe new, someone must have loved her once, and as long as that's true, Miss Power will always be able to open herself to love. And so I'm going to honor that love in the hopes of that buried part of her one day being able to open the door. Now, tell me what's really going on."

Amoratta sighed. "I am a member of the Conclave of the New Lexicon Republic, a movement set on securing the throne of Queen Islanzadi by annexing Vultora from political power through means of assassination. With my recent creation of the GenonaXBS, a weapon of inconceivable mass destruction, we are closer than ever to achieving our goals."

"When you say mass destruction," Jenny began slowly, "what exactly does that encompass?"

"Genona is powered by harnessing an indefinite amount of gamma radiation," Amoratta explained. "I believe you humans would find it akin to the force of a nuclear bomb. Once set off, Genona could easily send Planet Lexicon into oblivion."

"So you're saying that you're way of defeating Miss Power is by nuking your entire planet?!" Jenny demanded. "What kind of sense is that?"

"This isn't just about Lexicon anymore," said Amoratta. "The entire universe is in danger from Vultora. She must be stopped, no matter what the cost. Even then, we allowed more than 78% of the world population to evacuate Lexicon to seek refuge on other nearby planets. But I, the citizens of Eshka-Vallisto, and even Queen Islanzadi herself stayed. We knew of Genona's risk, but we still went through because we believed in sacrificing ourselves for something greater."

"But you have to stop this madness!" Jenny cried.

"It's too late for that," Amoratta replied. "Genona goes off in 10 minutes. We're all on lockdown in order to prevent Vultora or anyone else from getting inside the city and deactivating Genona."

"But my friends! They're all inside Eshka-Vallisto with no idea what's going to happen to them! They're going to die! You may be willing to accept that, but they did nothing to ever deserve this! They're good people and shouldn't have to die this way! You have to shut down the forcefield!"

"I… I'm not proud of what I'm doing, or what I'm about to say," Amoratta began, "but I'm sorry. I can't do that. Deactivating the forcefield would mean letting Vultora enter the city where Genona is, and thus aborting the entire mission. We'll never get another chance like this, and I can't give up this moment to finally seek revenge for all the horrid crimes Vultora's done. It has to be now."

"You _will _be able to defeat her," stated Jenny defiantly. "But not like this. Not with Genona, and not with hate. It's going to be me. I… I can't explain why, but I know I can. There's no other way. I have to do this for the sake of my friends. I've only known them for a few short days, but I can't imagine my world without them. I know I'm being naïve and foolish and not making sense, but sometimes, the greatest things in life can't be explained. And so, I'm asking you -, no, I'm begging you—to open your heart and give me a chance. I know all's not lost, that there is still another way, even though it seems impossible. Give up your hate and instead fight with me for the only thing that makes life meaningful, the only thing that truly lasts forever."

After a long silence, Amoratta asked, "So you're asking me to risk everything I've ever fought for, give up everything I've ever dreamed, and become a fool?"

"No," said Jenny. "I'm asking you to heal your heart, Amoratta. I'm asking you to love."

* * *

"Jenny?" asked Syrena worriedly. "Jenny!" Syrena roughly shook Jenny, but she did not respond, her eyes open in a blank, glassy, unseeing stare, her breathing disturbingly shallow. And yet her heart drummed furiously in her chest as if she was going into cardiac arrest.

"Dear God, what's happening to her?" Kerry asked, deeply troubled.

"I… cannot say for certain,"Mulan began, choosing her words carefully. "But I believe she is entering her Higher State of Beauty, or, to put it more adeptly, her Enlightenment. Just as you and Syrena discovered your Elements of Hope and Light, so too is Jenny becoming her Element of Love, just as the descendants of Jezebel up until Rosalie. It has always been there, hidden beneath the surface, but now, she is finally discovering its fullest potential."

As soon as Mulan finished her explanation, there was a loud gasp from Jenny and Amoratta as they returned to consciousness, like a swimmer coming up for breath.

"Kerry! Syrena!" exclaimed Jenny. "You have to get out of here, now!"

"What? What's happening?" the two demanded in unison.

"Genona is set to go off in 9 minutes," Amoratta explained hastily. "For your safety, you all have to evacuate the city while Jenny does what she needs to do."

And before anyone could get out another word, Amoratta grabbed Kerry and Syrena by their wrists and proceeded to drag them to the city limits, with Tobey, Two-Brains, Mulan, and WordGirl following close behind. In her haste, the Lexiconian tripped over the hem of her white silk gown. A strange clink resonated as she hit the ground, but she brushed it off and simply urged them to run faster.

"What's Jenny going to do?" Kerry asked worriedly, fearing for the life of her friend.

"I'm not sure," replied Amoratta, keeping her crystal blue eyes on the horizon ahead as a furious, unnatural wind tussled her pale, almost translucent blond hair. So focused she was on her task that she did not notice the unnaturally cold winter chill, nor the blinding azure light engulfing the group, until she collapsed to the ground. Even as Amoratta, as well as the others, saw the lights spin inside her head as she fell into unconsciousness, she just managed to say:

"But one thing I do know is that she's about to preform one of the most beautiful miracles this world has ever seen."

* * *

Standing in the very center of a plaza in the heart of the city, Jenny dropped to her knees and raised her eyes to the starry yet sunless sky above. She knew there would never be enough time to communicate to all the Lexiconians in the same way as Amoratta, but there was something else she could do. Closing her eyes, Jenny once again entered the ethereal plane of subconscious, but this time, instead of focusing on one individual soul, she allowed her mind to connect to the thousands of souls in Eshka-Vallisto. And she could feel their spiritual presence like a thousand stars, each one individual and unique and precious.

Suddenly, Jenny's mind was swarmed with millions upon millions of images and scenes, words and emotions, as the souls of the Lexiconians revealed their deepest fears, doubts, hopes, and dreams. It was an overwhelming amount for Jenny to take in, and for the longest amount of time, it felt as if her brain would crash and burn, like a computer with too much data to process. But somehow, she came through, and from the depths of her heart, she sent a healing wave of comfort to all the suffering souls along with a silent plea to return to the land of the living and defeat Miss Power once and for all.

_Please, trust me, _she implored. _Come back and wake up. _But she knew that the only way to truly reach their hearts was too…

_No, I can't do that, _Jenny thought to herself. _Amoratta was hard enough, but to love all the thousands of people? I'm a girl, not God! I don't have enough love for this._

_But love cannot be measured, _reasoned another voice inside her head. _No love is greater than another. All love is infinite. _Your _love is infinite. _

With that undeniable truth in mind, Jenny centered her being fully upon what she was about to do: conjure up a memory of love.

For a few moments, Jenny racked her brain, searching for something suitable to fully and completely define love, a most profound yet elusive emotion. Was it the memory of seeing her parents after their car accident when she was seven and sprinting into their arms out of relief to see them whole and unharmed? Was it the moment after her first encounter with Miss Power, when she first began to forge a friendship with Rosalie, Kerry, and Syrena? Was it the memory of Two-Brains recounting his tragic love for Jessamine? Was it the moment of Rosalie and Jacob's death, when she was able to witness love set into motion?

All of those moments were filled with love, but somehow, all of them felt inadequate. Each of those memories had a backstory of a thousand more, all need to fully comprehend.

It was then that Jenny realized that she couldn't just pick out one second of love. Love spanned her entire life and could not hope to be condensed or summarized. But Jenny did know that each and every one of those memories were accompanied by the sensation of her heart being inflated like a light, buoyant balloon and a smile being all the reward in the world. Jenny focused on this sensation as a spark flared to life in her eyes. She could felt it, the awareness of her love rippling and spreading outward to touch the galaxy of stars. The feeling was so overwhelming, so consuming, so _beautiful_…

But it was not enough. The strength of her love sputtered and died, leaving Jenny cold in shock, guilt, and failure. Of course. How could she have been so foolish? It was impossible to love so many people so intimately so quickly. Still kneeling in the center of the plaza, Jenny's body shuddered and quivered as heaving, pitiful sobs racked her chest.

Just as her grief reached its pinnacle, Jenny felt from the recesses of her mind the stars twinkle to life as she saw to her amazement billions of tendrils of light sprout from the stars. These strings weaved themselves together in a complex pattern until every single star was connected, just as every person across the globe is connected. The Lexiconian souls had apparently been touched by Jenny's love and were now reciprocating it. Looking heavenward in amazement, Jenny saw that there were beams of light reaching out for her. However, they stopped in midair halfway, but Jenny knew that was to be expected. Love went both ways, after all. Concentrating, Jenny sent out her own trails of light, growing and stretching until the two ends met halfway in a dazzling spectacle of fireworks. Then, she experienced an awe-inspiring out-of-body moment where she could see the whole world from a new perspective. She floated above the world in a blissful, dreamlike trance, marveling at the essence of each individual star, an essence that mere words could not describe. Despite their radiance, these stars were not pure; in fact, many of them were quite dull and tainted. And Jenny saw and accepted this imperfection but pushed it aside for the sake of seeing that at heart, these were good people. As she soared above the clouds, she let her fingers gently graze the brilliant orbs of flame. Some reached out joyfully; others cringed at her touch, but eventually, all joined her in the beautiful song resonating from the depths of her heart.

Slowly, Jenny recovered from this hype as she drifted gently down to earth with a sense of prideful euphoria. She let her eyes flicker open back into reality, and look up at the stars, she could still the faint outlines of what Jenny would now call Celestial Union.

Looking around, Jenny saw to her immense happiness the stirring faces of one, then two, then ten, then ten hundred Lexiconians. Each one rose to encompass her until Jenny was standing alone in the midst of a circle of Lexiconians. Despite the multitude of gazes, some perplexed, some calculating, and some simply awestruck, all trained on her, Jenny did not feel uncomfortable. In fact, she felt perfectly at ease, as if she could trust each and every one of these people gathered before her with her life.

However, this tranquility soon broke as a jarring chill ran up Jenny's spine. This was caused not by the rippling air current of the forcefield around Eshka-Vallisto being decimated, nor the onslaught of bitter cold wind that ravaged her lungs as she took breath. No, this chill was caused by something far more sinister, and as she raised her eyes to the heavens, this ominous presence made itself manifest.

High above the tallest castle spire, illuminated by two red and gold stars, there stood Miss Power, wearing the face of triumph as she held the limp, unmoving form of a defeated superhero in her grasp.

* * *

**I hope the whole love thing with Jenny wasn't too cheesy for you all. Honestly, this was one of the hardest chapters for me to write, since it involved some pretty deep thought on what love is and what it means. Of course, this is the opinion of a 13-year-old girl, but maybe that's the point. If any of you have different perspectives on love and would like to discuss them with me, then I would be delighted. Nothing entices me more than a down-to-earth philosophical debate! **

**Just out of curiosity, do any of you have an idea of how this is all going to end? Let me know in the reviews!**

**Love to all, (Now you know why I always end with this phrase)**

**Bella**

**P.S. Time to dress up in a robe and veil from a thousand years ago, shout "CRUCIFY HIM!", sing a few sad church songs, and get snacks at the reception! Living Stations of the Cross: a better school assignment than it sounds.**


	18. Lessons in Love

**Happy early Easter! I am happy and sad to report that after at least three times of saying the story will end, it is finally true, but boy, is it long. Remember how I said that even if it's 20 pages, I'd still end it? Well, this was 19 pages, and is officially (minus the author's note) 10,992 words. You're all so lucky it's scary. **

**However, because this chapter is so ridiculously long and so much happens, I have divided it into two parts. Part 1 contains the bulk of the action and climax, while Part 2 is considerably slower paced and is the resolution. If your brain is on overload by the end of Part 1, I highly recommend you save Part 2 until later, because that will require a bit of interpretation to understand. However, if you just want to plow on through, then be my guest.**

**Before I get started, I'd just like to thank each and every one of you for reading, favoriting, following, and of course, reviewing this story. I know I don't say it nearly often enough, but you guys are awesome and one of the main reasons I kept writing this. So thank you! **

**Turn on some background music, eat a quick snack, get comfortable, and let's get started!**

* * *

Part 1: Letting Go

A scream rose from Jenny's chest but was caught halfway up her constricting throat, causing a sound somewhere between a cough and a yelp. She and the other Lexiconians looked up nervously, wanting to help but not daring to intervene. No one needed to spell out the fact that this was a hostage.

Suddenly, a sonic scream was heard, and Jenny squinted to see a now conscious WordGirl, shouting furious obscenities at her elder sister as the two prepared for round two of the battle.

"Well, well, Alexa," Miss Power mocked patronizingly, her voice amplified so that it rang clear across the entire city, "It looks like all your friends have found their elements, but now, the question is can you truly become what you claim to be: a hero?"

"I _am _a hero!" WordGirl screamed in rage. "And I'm not afraid of you anymore! I can defeat you, right here, right now!" Then, with a deafening war cry, WordGirl propelled herself at the speed of light at Miss Power. However, Miss Power simply stepped aside lightly with a laugh, causing WordGirl to careen into granite-hard surface of a crystal spire. This laughter only caused WordGirl's anger to rise, and so she proceeded to barrage Miss Power with a rapid succession of all her attacks, all of which were easily countered.

WordGirl's heart was racing inside her chest as the desire to defeat Miss Power only incensed. She could almost feel the flames lick her skin and burn in her veins until she could feel herself radiating pure energy and power. She pushed herself harder and harder, creeping further and further towards the edge of losing control of her powers, but none of that mattered now, not in the heat of this defining moment. It was time to let go of fear. She wanted dominance, she wanted revenge, but most of all, she wanted to prove once and for all that she was a hero, not just a coward hiding underneath the façade of a TV show.

Finally, there came a point where WordGirl's muscles simply refused to obey her. She kept going faster and faster until she couldn't stop, not even after crashing through several buildings. Above her, a golden star burned brighter and brighter, consumed with a dizzying frenzy, while its crimson counterpart shone steadily. Then, all the power she had exerted suddenly failed. Taking advantage of this weakness, Miss Power raised a knife unsheathed from her cape. Even so far down below, Jenny could see the menacing glint of the knife in the glow of the crimson star as it made its downward arch into WordGirl's wrist, directly in the center of the branded golden star.

WordGirl plummeted from the sky like a shooting star trailing red ribbons to collapse, broken, crying, and cradling her wounded wrist, on the plaza's cold hard pavement. The golden trail of Lexicon's fallen princess could be seen all across the city, thus drawing Kerry, Syrena, Mulan, and the rest of the group, now awakened, to the crowd gathered at the plaza. Above, the golden star had burned out and was now nothing more than a feebly pulsating pinprick light, nowhere near being able to overcome the evil radiance of its red sister.

"No!" Syrena screamed as she and the others ran to WordGirl's side.

"Vultora defeated the crown princess," breathed Amoratta in horror. "Now she can fully take over Planet Lexicon."

_I can't believe this, _WordGirl thought to herself in shock. _I failed. I lost._

"Haha!" Miss Power cackled wickedly. "Lexicon is mine!"

"No," declared an unknown voice, one that rang with regality and authority, from the back of the crowd. With a few mingled gasps of awe, the crowd grew hushed as the Lexiconians parted to the sides to create an aisle for a woman as she marched forward. She carried herself with a certain grace and confidence, as well as a cold and collected demeanor that demanded instant respect. A slight wind rustled her chocolate brown hair with white roses deftly woven into her braids, upon which rested an elegant silver diadem. Her bright blue eyes narrowed into slits as she caught sight of Miss Power, and Jenny believed that that look alone would be enough to shatter cities and destroy entire countries. As she walked, a bright white star rose in the sky and shone down upon her like a spotlight.

"Enough, Vultora," commanded the woman in a voice that was laced in ice and deadly quiet, yet it could easily be heard across the entire city.

"Is that all you're going to do to make me stand down?" scoffed Miss Power. "I don't take orders from you anymore, _Mother_," she added, with an extra note of disrespect on the last word.

The last remark registered in Jenny's brain. This woman must be Queen Islanzadi, the mother of WordGirl and Miss Power.

"Besides," Miss Power continued, taunting her, "not even legions of your soldiers could defeat me. Why do you even stand a chance?"

"Because I am your mother, Vultora," Islanzadi rebuked, "and you are nothing but a child throwing a temper tantrum. You will be defeated, and make there be no doubt that _I _will be the one to do it."

"Stop!" Amoratta shouted in an act of bravery, running from the crowd and planting herself firmly in between the two as mother and daughter prepared for a duel. "You must not harm the queen, or else, you shall perish." Then, Amoratta pulled from her dress pocket a tiny glowing sapphire stone.

"GenonaXBS is set to detonate in five minutes," Amoratta declared. "We all know, and we all, including our queen, are willing to die to ensure your demise. There is no use fighting anymore, Vultora. Submit to your fate and end this futile spectacle."

Then, from out of nowhere, a fist collided with Amoratta's face, sending her reeling backwards onto the pavement while Miss Power stood over here menacingly, hands clenched in fury. The sapphire slipped from Amoratta's grasp and rolled to stop in front of WordGirl.

The heroine quickly snatched up Genona and held it close to her chest, her drumming heart beating in perfect time to the faint ticking of Genona as it counted down the final minutes of life on Lexicon. WordGirl wanted to fight once again for the sake of a home she never knew, but at the same time, she knew that wasn't the answer. No matter what powers she possessed, she couldn't fight Miss Power and win in that way. Her pride had never admitted it, but deep down, she had always known what she needed to do.

In an act of recklessness and selflessness, WordGirl threw herself in front of Queen Islanzadi and Amoratta to act as a human shield.

"No! Don't you dare hurt them!" WordGirl cried, clutching the GenonaXBS in her hand.

"Alexandria, stop!" Islanzadi commanded. "It does not matter what Vultora does to either of us. We all woke up today ready to die."

"But I'm afraid that fate won't be in store for you anymore," Miss Power replied, snatching Genona from WordGirl's hand. "Poor Amoratta," she snickered as she spun the sapphire stone in her grasp. "All that scientific research gone to waste."

"Give it back!" WordGirl demanded.

"Why would I ever do something like that?" Miss Power trilled.

"B-because I'll… I'll let you kill me," WordGirl whispered, the words slipping from her dry, trembling lips.

At this, Miss Power laughed. "I've already defeated you and stolen your birthright. You're nothing to me. Only a fool would make that deal."

"No, you're wrong," WordGirl said. At this point, her head was feeling strangely dizzy from blood loss. "You may have gained the _ability _to become Lexicon's heiress, but you haven't actually become it yet. In order to do that, you have to kill me." WordGirl dropped to her knees and tilted her head upward. "But then you have to give back the GenonaXBS, and you also can't hurt Queen Islanzadi or Amoratta."

Miss Power looked down upon her sister with a strange expression of curiosity. "How do you know if I'll keep my word?" she asked suspiciously.

Out of the corner of her eye, the superheroine glanced at Jenny, Kerry, and Syrena, the Symbols of Beauty. All her life, she had tried to lead others, but now, perhaps it was time she followed their examples. "I don't know," WordGirl declared, "but I'm choosing to trust you. I'm choosing to take a leap of faith and hope against all the odds that you'll do the right thing. I'm choosing to do the heroic thing and save someone else's life by sacrificing my own because I love life so much that I want to protect it more than anything. But most of all, despite everything you've done, and even if it's terribly naïve, I'm choosing to love you, sister."

But Miss Power only laughed, a horrible, twisted sound gurgling from her mouth. "As you wish," the dictator mocked, pulling out her dagger once again and make a grand spectacle of making sure the blade would align perfectly with WordGirl's tender neck. "Off with your head."

It seemed as if time itself seemed to be frozen in place as everyone stood by in shock at the sudden turn of events. The wiki girls were staring wide eyed, the Lexiconians were whispering among themselves nervously, and Quen Islanzadi completely dropped her regal composure as she stood agape at her daughter's sacrifice. After whispering to Amoratta, Mulan discreetly motioned to Two-Brains and Tobey for them to follow her to a secluded place, far from the crowd and prying eyes. Only Amoratta seemed to be tranquil, as she quietly counted to herself.

WordGirl tilted her head upwards so that her eyes could take in the vast expanse of stars above, surely the last sight she would ever see. All around her, she could feel the strange tingling magic of her home planet envelop her in its embrace. _I'm home, _she realized for the first time, wanting to cry from bliss. How ironically cruel that she be torn away from it all now, when she had only just returned, and of her own volition. Still, she knew she was right in choosing the path of martyrdom. She loved her planet, her friends, and her mother, more than she could ever express, and she would march to the ends of the earth to fight for it. But sometimes, the best way to fight was not to throw a punch, not to take a life, but rather give everything she had.

As the knife sliced through the air, WordGirl looked up at Miss Power. Brown eyes met blue, the two attracted with a magnetic force. WordGirl probed those icy blue depths intensely, beseechingly, searching for an answer as to what had happened to her sister that would cause her to commit such a horrible wrong.

_What happened to you? _WordGirl lamented.

And for a moment, just a single moment, one that could easily be missed in the blink of an eye, something extraordinary happened. Miss Power's normally icy cold façade slipped, her demeaning, chiseled glare softened, and her icy cold eyes melted into a vast, calming sea. Then all of a sudden, those melted eyes sucked WordGirl in like a vortex, carrying her through a dark and empty tunnel. She tried to resist, but it was futile. Her head seared with pain as she was dragged down deeper and deeper into Miss Power's mind. Finally, she felt the final strands connecting her to her own stream of consciousness snap as she was sucked into Miss Power's memories and dragged into a whole new world.

* * *

_London, England 1859_

_The salty sea wind sprayed a young girl's face as she stretched her head beyond the rails of the boat's deck, slick with a grimy veneer of water. The waters were grey and choppy below her, with the sky, swirling with a suffocating fog and the stench of the unkempt passengers, not faring much better. Still, the girl was nevertheless happy, for at least here, in this world, she could not be followed. _

_As if fearing her silent thoughts could be heard ringing throughout the galaxies, she worriedly tilted her head backwards to scan the cloudy, murky London skies for any sign of a star and shield, the signature logo of the Lexicon Air Force. At once, the girl reprimanded herself for acting so foolish. She had been on the run for three years now; surely, if her mother were going to find her, it would have happened long ago. This is why she – Lucie, as she was known in this world – prided herself upon her chosen planet of exile. Planet Earth was so remote and barbaric that no Lexiconian would dream of searching for her in this wasteland. _

_Sighing, Lucie propped her elbows upon the slippery railings as she gazed out at what would have been the city of London, England. She hadn't wanted to hurt anyone by running away, but she just couldn't handle the stress of being Lexicon's heiress any longer. There were so many rules and responsibilities she had to adhere to when all Lucie really wanted to do was sit in her library and read, all the while daydreaming about worlds of romance and lives of love that would never be hers._

_A sudden gust of wind shook Lucie out of her thoughts as it blew her lovely baby blue bonnet clear of her head. Pausing only to attempt to smooth out her now tangled pale blonde hair, Lucie chased after it. She had recently bought the bonnet in France at an expensive price, and with being stuck in the dregs of poverty, it was one of the prettiest things she owned._

"_Excuse me, is this yours, miss?" asked an eloquent, French, male voice behind her. _

_Lucie spun around in a rather unladylike fashion to come face to face with the origin of the voice. He was quite a handsome young man, with chiseled features and pale sea green eyes that complimented his light bronze hair. However, upon noticing his formal attire and proud stature, Lucie hurried lowered her face, remembering her place in society. Clearly, this man was a wealthy aristocrat, far out of her league. _

"_T-thank you," Lucie murmured timidly, taking the bonnet in her hands while trying to ignore the faint blush warming her cheeks. She must have looked to be an absolute wretch, with her matted, snarled blonde hair and coarse, plain blue dress._

"_It was no trouble, miss…"_

"_Lucie Manette," she supplemented out of politeness. Even after all the times she'd practiced saying it, the syllables of her fake name was still difficult for her Lexiconian tongue to pronounce._

"_Charles Darnay," he replied warmly as he extended his arm to shake her hand. "It is certainly a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Miss Manette."_

_Lucie's eyes widened in surprise. Here was a wealthy nobleman treating her, an impoverished commoner, as an equal?_

_Lucie took his hand gratefully as she beamed like a moron, trying to quell the giddily dancing butterflies in her heart. "A pleasure indeed."_

"_No! Let go of me!" an older Lucie cried. This particular memory seemed to be set a few years into the future, although still in London. No longer could this young, presentable, respected woman be called a child, especially with a simple band of gold surrounding one of her fingers. Next to her, a child, not older than six, wailed at the shouting._

"_Never!" exclaimed none other than Queen Islanzadi herself as she held her rebellious daughter in her vice-like grip. "You thought you could leave Planet Lexicon, your duties, and me, just so you could pursue a bout of whimsical, naïve dreams? I thought you were wiser than this, Vultora, but it appears I was sadly mistaken. Perhaps you are not fit to become my successor. Now come with me, you insolent girl!"  
"I'll never go with you!" Lucie declared. "My whole life is here: my friends, my husband, my child—"_

"_H-how could you?!" Islanzadi reprimanded in disbelief, let go of her daughter in surprise. "You know perfectly well that a Lexiconian cannot consort with a human being, yet alone conceive…"_

"_Well there's nothing you can do about it!" Lucie replied sassily, clutching her sobbing daughter, little Lucie, closer to her. "It's okay, sweetie," Lucie crooned to her daughter, "everything's alright."_

"_Vultora, I'm sorry, but you simply can't do this anymore," stated Islanzadi, now in a calmer, collected tone. " Starting a new life in another world just to escape your problems, it's just not the answer. You don't belong here. Please, this isn't good for your husband, your daughter, or you. We can talk more when we get you home—"_

"_My husband is about to be executed!" Lucie screamed at the top of her lungs. "He's been falsely accused of treason against Great Britain, of passing information to France. The two countries are in chaos, there's the French Revolution, please, it's a war! Please, I have to be there to clear his name—"_

"_The matters of a human war do not interest me," Islanzadi snapped tersely. "You simply must come back home with me. Don't be selfish. Sacrifice your own happiness for theirs. Do what's best for those you love. You have to let them go, before things get worse."_

"_You can't tell me what to do!" Lucie cried. "I'll never let them go! I can't bear to leave them!"_

_The ruler of Lexicon sighed. "Then you leave me no choice." _

_From the shadowy London alley, there sprang four armed Lexiconian guards. After a brief struggle, they had successfully bound Lucie in handcuffs of solid steel._

"_NO! NO!" Lucie screamed, her voice strangled with sorrow as she screamed herself hoarse while the guards dragged her away. "Lucie!" she cried to her daughter. Run! Get Sydney Carton and tell him what's happened. He'll know what to do. Tell him that I've been arrested by the French and to not come looking for me."_

_Little Lucie stood in confusion as her brain processed what these words meant. "But Mommy," little Lucie cried, "I don't want to leave! Please don't make me!"_

"_I'm so sorry, Lucie," Lucie lamented, her voice trembling as she choked back tears. "But please, listen to me! Go now! I love you, Lucie! Never forget that! I will always find a way back to you!"_

_Once she heard the hurried running of her daughter, Lucie closed her eyes, and she let her mother drag her away, back to the home she despised, a home that from that day forth, she was determined to control and then destroyed. She refused to let herself cry, not even as she realized with a pang how foolish it was to love, not even as the tragic story of her life on Earth, _A Tale of Two Cities, _came to an end._

* * *

With a gasp, WordGirl returned to the present. Her eyes were still glowing with the spark of Miss Power's memories, and she could see that spark reflected in Miss Power's own eyes. For a fraction of a second, her hand faltered as the knife spun downward upon seeing those serene brown eyes, so innocent, pure, and shining with the light of the life so wretchedly torn away from her.

"Now!" cried Amoratta. Together, she and the other Lexiconians rose up in one swift movement to converge upon Miss Power. Amoratta deftly plucked the GenonaXBS from her hand while the other Lexiconians formed an impenetrable human dome around the antagonist, making it impossible to escape. The sounds of fists colliding with bone could be heard as the Lexicionians hurried to get into position. Amidst all the chaos, someone tossed a dazed WordGirl to safety, where she stood alongside the wiki girls.

"Jenny!" shouted Amoratta as she pushed her way through the crowd. Clasping hands, she cried, "you must leave now! Genona is going to detonate in three minutes!"

"But how—" began Jenny.

"The angel Mulan, the boy genius Tobey, and the scientist Dr. Two Brains are waiting on the outskirts of the city with something called an inter-dimensional ray gun. They said it has the power to take you back home."

"But then you have to come, too!" cried Jenny. "I'm not going to leave you here to die!"

"There's no time," Amoratta replied. "Besides, if we break formation, Vultora will be able to follow you into your world, where none of us will be able to stop her. It has to be now."

"But—" Jenny protested. The earth quaked below and lightning crashed from the sky as Lexicon's final minutes had at last arrived.

"Listen to me," Amoratta shouted over the thundering of her collapsing world, taking Jenny's hands in hers as tears streaked down her face. "When you first met me in that other world, you told me that I shouldn't throw my life away when up until then, it had no meaning, and you were right. But this is different. Thanks to you, I'm able to sacrifice my life to save yours. I'm able to protect the love that _you showed me_. You've given my life meaning, Jenny. You've shown me how to love by giving everything. Now let me save you!"

"I-I'm sorry, I can't," Jenny sobbed. "You mean too much to me to let you go, Amoratta. You're like my friend, my sister, my—"

"Mother!" WordGirl cried as she glimpsed Queen Islanzadi in the midst of the brawl. Ignoring the screams of her friends to try back, WordGirl throwing herself into the crowd, pushing past the endless sea of fighting until she saw her mother, standing calm and serene like a lighthouse upon a stormy sea. Letting go of all reservation, the Lexiconian girl threw herself into her mother's arms and sobbed as the immensity of the situation overwhelmed her.

"Mom," WordGirl cried as she felt her heart would explode into a thousand fragments from the tumult of emotions crashing down upon her. She buried her tear-stained face into her mother's chest as she tried to absorb as much about her birth mother as possible in this brief fragment of time. The scent of lilacs and roses, the feel of her smooth ivory skin as she caressed her daughter's face, and the sight of her shimmering auburn hair, perfectly complimented by her bright blue eyes, falling in tumbling waves past her shoulders: all this WordGirl saved to memory so that she could revisit it always, whenever she needed to recreate the image of her mother that would no longer exist, for WordGirl knew all too well that this meeting would be both their first and last.

"Alexandria," Islanzadi murmured, rejoicing, "my beautiful baby girl. I am so sorry for all the heartache of this ordeal, but for your safety, you must leave Planet Lexicon at once."

"No, no, no!" WordGirl screamed, grabbing hold of her mother's hand. "Don't make me, please! I don't care about my safety! I just want to stay here and fight with you!"

"Your safety may not matter to you, but it means the world to me. I cannot permit you to stay here if it means putting your life at risk."

"Please, you don't understand!" she cried. "All my life, I've wanted to meet you, my birth mother. And now you're here, and you're more amazing than I ever could have imagined. I just can't leave you now. I love you too much."

"As do I," Islanzadi said. "I love you so very much, more than I, even when gifted with a Lexiconian's vast knowledge of vocabulary, could never hope to express with mere words. You will always carry a piece of my heart, which is why I need you to leave now, so that piece can be protected."

Pulling back her long brown hair, the Queen of Lexicon took a single perfect white rose that was woven into her braids. "Take this," she said, pressing the flower into WordGirl's hand, "as a token to remember me by. It is a special flower, an Amoratta, and only blooms in the presence of love. And so, it will always bloom when you think of me, for our hearts are intertwined and always will be."

"But I… I just can't bear to see you die!" WordGirl cried.

Queen Islanzadi gripped her daughter's hand as she said her parting words. "Alexandria Belladona Theia," she said fondly, "The Beauty of Love, Hope, and Light. These three qualities you possess, if you allow yourself to see them, and today, I am asking you to use them. I am asking you to see the light beyond Death's shadow, to hope in a second life, and to sustain the memory of me with your love. Remember that I will always be with you on the other side of the veil and that my love for you is eternal."

Suddenly, a bolt of lightning shook the ground with its thundering power.

"It's time to go," Amoratta beseeched Jenny.

"I'm sorry it has to end this way…" said Queen Islanzadi.

"But it's the only option," said Amoratta.

"Remember that this is not the end…"

"But now is the time to leave."

"Please, for the sake of us all…"

"Take this ultimate test of love…"

"And let…"

"Me…"

"Go!"

Jenny and WordGirl let go in unison, and together, they, along with the others. sprinted through the streets of Eshka-Vallisto to meet Two-Brains and Mulan on the edge of the city, where the inter-dimensional portal was waiting.

"How much time do we have left?" yelled Kerry to the others.

"I think it's three minutes," replied Syrena.

"No, I'm pretty sure it's four," replied Jenny.

"Ugh, let's synchronize our watches so we're all on the same page," said WordGirl. "Mine says it's 11:56 PM!"

"No, it's 11:57!" countered Jenny.

"HEEEELLLLLPPPPPP!" a scream rang out, signaling the entrance of the Help Guy, decked out in his signature green sweatshirt as he ran in his typical blind panic through the streets. "It's 12:05!" Then, realizing his error, he said embarrassedly, "Sorry, my mistake. I just wanted to be the first to panic. HEEELLLPPPP!"

"Well," said WordGirl as the scene came to an awkward pause, "um, moving on…"

"Wait, don't you have some cleverly thought-out line that will perfectly transistion this scene?" asked Jenny.

"Well, I would if the writer of this fanfic wasn't so lazy," WordGirl replied defensively. "Plus, I kind of dropped my script during that battle thing, so I have absolutely no idea what's going on."

"Wait, what was that about a fanfic?" asked Syrena.

"Sorry, I can't hear you over the fourth wall collapsing!" shouted WordGirl. "Come on, let's just start running already!"

And with an abrupt scene transition, they took off in a frenzied sprint as they fought to outdistance time, as the last grains of sand counting down Lexicon's existence were currently being drained to the dregs. As they ran, Jenny did not grieve for those she was leaving behind, for they were at peace with their choice and their lives. Except…

And suddenly, she found her legs moving in the opposite direction, running to the crystal city instead of away.

"Jenny!" Syrena screamed. "What do you think you're doing?!"

But Jenny ignored the cries of her friends, instead urging herself to move faster. She couldn't turn back, not now. Time was running out, and there was one thing she had to do before it was too late.

Disregarding her own safety, Jenny hurled herself headfirst into the brawl where the Lexiconians exchanged fierce punches containing the force of wrecking balls, and unfortunately, Jenny found herself in the crossfire. Tears of pain welled in her eyes as black and blue bruises blossomed on her arms and legs, but she kept pushing her way through.

"Stop!" WordGirl's command rang loud and clear above the ruckus as she and the wiki girls caught up to Jenny; however, the order was not directed at her but at the Lexiconians. Immediately, the fighting ceased, and the crowd instead assumed a defensive stance, circling on the outside edges, leaving Jenny standing alone in the middle of the mock arena to stand face-to-face with one of the most powerful tyrants in history.

However, despite her renowned power and strength, Miss Power was an absolute mess. Knife cuts and bruises covered every visible patch of skin, with blood gushing from numerous places, leaving her so weak that her legs trembled. Clearly, the Lexicionian mob had not been gentle with her, and Jenny probably looked no better. Still, her eyes still shone with the same crazed, power-hungry, wicked glare that Jenny had always known. It was the look of the insane, of those so evil that it seemed as if there had been no fall from light, that they had been born of shadows themselves. It was the look of one with nothing to lose, everything to gain, and no limit of cruelty.

It was the look of a murderer.

"No! Jenny!" screamed Kerry in hysteria. "You have to get out of there! She'll kill you! She'll kill you!"

Ignoring the panicked cries of her friends to turn back, Jenny continued forward, knowing in her heart that somehow, this was her destiny, to rise up triumphant against this evil, no matter how impossible such an idea may have seemed. After all, she was not gifted with mystical, supernatural abilities, nor did she possess a deep, hidden power. She was not stronger or smarter or more talented than anyone else. She was not wealthy or influential or powerful. Songs would not sing her praises, fans would not rush to meet her, and history books would not remember her name. She was not special, extraordinary, or important in any way. She was not a hero. She was just a girl, standing alone in the face of death to protect all that was right and good in a cruel and unforgiving world.

_But... but I don't want to be alone, _Jenny thought mournfully. _I can't do this all by myself._

"You're not alone," said a voice behind her. Whirling around, Jenny saw to her delight the comforting faces of her friends, Kerry and Syrena.

"We're not going to let her hurt you, Jenny," Syrena continued. "We're always going to stand by you, no matter what."

Then the three girls joined hands, and suddenly, all the screaming and explosions melted away, leaving Miss Power and the wiki girls as the only people in the world. Jenny, Kerry, and Syrena were engulfed in a beautiful ethereal white light as they experienced the pure euphoric bliss of having their minds connected, their hearts beating in perfect harmony, and their souls becoming one. They were now three parts of the same machine, a glorious trinity.

"There's still time, you know," said Jenny soothingly as she spoke with the lips of all three girls, forming a perfect triad vocal chord. "You can make things right again. It doesn't have to end like this. You can come with us through the portal and into our world. Just let go of all the hurt, anger, and resentment you've been harboring for all these years, and instead, believe in the beautiful things, in love and hope and light. We can save you; all you have to do is believe in us."

Jenny stared intently into Miss Power's eyes, where she saw not the cruel, heartless abyss of a madwoman, but rather the eyes of a child, lost and alone in a terrifying world, without even a spark of light to guide her.

Then Miss Power, her teeth clenched with anger as she made sure to spike every word with venom, hissed vehemently, "I would rather die."

Jenny sighed. She had made her decision. "Very well," she said regretfully, "as you wish. May you rest in peace." Then, trying not to let the tears fall, she and the other girls turned abruptly on their heels and sprinted to the outskirts of the city. All along the way, it felt as though their hearts had been turned to lead as they burned with a dull ache of pity for little girl, a child of Innocence, who would forever be lost.

* * *

Up ahead, Jenny raised her eyes to see Mulan, Dr. Two-Brains, and Tobey frantically wave to her as they flanked a swirling, neon blue portal, ready to transport them through dimensions and back to Earth. Jenny urged herself to run faster, promising to not even walk for a whole week after this ordeal was over. She chose to push aside her grief and instead focus on those soon-to-be seven days of bliss. Seven days…

_Grief… seven days…_

Looking behind her, Jenny saw all the varying hues in Lexicon's landscape slowly leaking away to only be replaced by a the bone-white color of death, and suddenly, everything fit into place.

After fleeing Miss Power's spaceship, Rosalie had recounted everything about her ordeal there, including the part about the Seven Grievances of Lexicon. Jenny herself had seen the seven portraits herself when she had entered the spaceship and knew they heralded Planet Lexicon's apocalypse.

As the final seconds counted down to Lexicon's destruction, Jenny recited the awful prophecy that after so many millennia was finally coming to fruition.

_10…_

_When innocence shall surely break_

_As Miss Power's spaceship burned and we all thought we would die…_

_9…_

_When skies and lakes and valleys quake_

_When Miss Power was fighting to enter Lexicon…_

_8…_

_When darkness rules both day and night_

_When Lucifer came to tempt Rosalie, there was a dark plume of smoke that blocked out the sun…_

_7…_

_When Asteria falls from her Heavenly might_

_Rosalie absorbed the power of Asteria into the sword Ishmith…_

_6…_

_When daybreak brings the blood-red rain_

_As Rosalie died, a fountain of blood rained flowers…_

_5…_

_When those entombed shall rise again_

_When Jacob was brought back from the dead, only to be killed once more…_

_4…_

In horror, Jenny looked to Mulan as to confirm whether or not her thoughts were correct. The fallen angel could see the question reflected in Jenny's eyes. She did not answer in words, but one tear leaking from her eyes was all the affirmation Jenny needed.

_The Angel of Time grieves from her holy throne_

_3…_

With a loud cry, Jenny was the last person to dive into the swirling blue portal. She let the vortex drag her down as the world around faded into nothing. Looking out from inside the portal, Jenny saw Planet Lexicon as if it were nothing but a blank canvas, as though the heavens had decided to erase everything, start from the beginning once more, and paint a new world, one they could take pride in.

_2…_

Jenny looked down at her watch just in time to see the minute hand quiver to align with the hour hand, positioned directly below the number twelve. It was then that Jenny realized with a jolt what day it was today, six months into the future.

December 21, 2012

To humans, this day was 12/21/12.

To Lexiconians, this day was 122,112.

The day of the apocalypse.

_1._

_And Lexicon shall be no more._

* * *

Part 2: Beautiful Souls

The next few days passed in a daze as final preparations and arrangements were made. After being teleported back to Rosalie's house, there was the task of rounding up all the villains, fixing the disarrayed home once more, and transporting everyone to Jenny's house Mr. Big was taken to the hospital and was currently healing. The wiki girls, whose 'kidnapping' had been followed by the entire country, were then interviewed on national TV (great) as well as interrogated by the local police (not so great). Everyone was in a frenzy as airplane tickets were ordered and calls to hysterical parents were made, with more than a few white lies sprinkled in. ("A Russian spy, Mom! I'm not joking! She kidnapped us and was going to take us to Moscow, where we would be sold on the black market!") Finally, after a week, everyone was ready to depart for home.

"We're still going to stay in touch after all this, right, Jenny?" asked Kerry after she called for a taxi to drive her and Syrena to the airport.

"Of course," said Jenny. "I'll make sure to spam your email everyday, promise."

"And we also have to get together, too, not just write," added Syrena. "If you're not doing anything next month, in July, I could invite you two to my summer cottage down in Florida."

"It'll be strange, though," remarked Kerry after consenting to the arrangement. "We'll all be going back to our regular, routine lives. How can we go back to normal after everything that's happened?"

"It's simple," replied Jenny, "we're not. For better or for worse, all of us were changed last week, and there's no going back. We're all going to deal with this in our own way, but at least we have each other. And if one thing's for sure, it's that I never want to forget."

The two girls nodded in agreement and gathered together for a group hug. Their special moment was eventually interrupted by the honking of the cab waiting outside Rosalie's home, signaling that it was time for the wiki girls to part ways. After a few tearful goodbyes, Kerry and Syrena jumped into the cab.

As Kerry and Syrena energetically waved out the back window as the cab prepared to turn the corner and drive out of sight, Jenny smiled back from the porch steps. Closing her eyes, she leaned her head against one of the pillars as she let the first golden rays of sunrise wash over her face. Jenny's cat Cocoa then joined her owner by leaping gracefully into her lap, where she received a shower of cuddles. In her moment of serenity, Jenny could feel the world around her join together in one glorious note of harmony. Jenny let that note, that song, resound across the universe and in her heart, where it would serve as a constant reminder in times of darkness that despite imperfection, all things in this world were beautiful.

* * *

Inside Jenny's house, the villains were milling around the living room, where Dr. Two-Brains was setting up the trans-dimensional ray gun. The criminals chattered excitedly to themselves at the prospect of finally being able to return home. Their ecstasy was almost tangible; it filled the air intoxicatingly, becoming infectious to everyone in the room.

However, there was one who was immune to this joyful atmosphere. At the very back of the crowd, Tobey was craning his neck in a rather foolish position in order to search the crowd for a certain superhero. Coming up empty, Tobey left the room and wandered the halls moodily, but as to the reason behind his bitter attitude, he couldn't be sure.

Finally, Tobey spotted WordGirl sitting alone in the parlor room. Her head was hung as if in contemplative sadness; although, he could not be sure due to the curtain of hair masking her face. She sat alone by the window, letting a few sparse rays of light shine through, though for some reason, the light seemed to avoid her, making her seem darker than the world around her. Her usually bright red superhero outfit now seemed washed-out and gray. She had her hands cupped around a tiny, seemingly delicate object that was held with such reverence, it was as if she feared even the gentlest movement would cause it to shatter. She looked so lonely and dejected that Tobey's heart ached for her.

_No, focus, _Tobey reminded himself. _That's not what you're here for._

Unsure of what else to do, Tobey loudly cleared his throat as a way of making his presence known. WordGirl instantly looked up, startled out of her wits. Tobey simply stood in the doorframe and politely waited for WordGirl to give him permission to enter. Finally, after being giving the chance to calm down, she nodded once and motioned for him to come forward.

Tobey took a seat adjacent to WordGirl as an awkward silence filled the air. There was no snarky, self-assured banter today, and this set Tobey horribly off-kilter. He had rehearsed an entire speech, complete with facial expressions and hand gestures, inside his head continuously for the past few days, but now, faced with the challenge of actually saying it aloud, all the words leaked out of his head no matter how much he tried to stop it, until remembering his speech became like scooping water in his hands. Eventually, he gave up trying to remember and instead settled for a casual opener to ease his way into getting to the main topic of the discussion.

"How's your face?" he blurted out, saying the first thing that came to mind.

Wrong choice. _You fool Tobey; what were you thinking?_

Slowly, WordGirl raised her eyes to meet Tobey's and brushed back her hair to reveal her face. Fortunately, the horrid green visage that had disfigured her face had faded as she recuperated from the Lexionite exposure. However, there was still a faint olive green tint on the left half of her face that had yet to heal with time.

"It's fine," she said quietly, her voice strangely distant. It wasn't affronted or arrogant, but simply toneless and flat.

Starting again, this time, choosing his words more carefully, he asked concernedly, "What are you thinking about?"

"A lot of things," she said with a heavy sigh, "mostly about what's going to happen when I return to Fair City."

"But aren't you excited about that?"

"In a way, yes. I mean, it'll be nice to see Huggy again; I'm sure he's been worried sick about me for the past two weeks. But in a way, I'm also scared. I feel that if I go back, I'll have to face the prospect of opening a can of worms that I've been pushing aside for so long. I… I don't think I'll be able to hide anymore, hide from my friends, my family, and especially myself."

"Hide what?" asked Tobey.

"Everything," WordGirl lamented. "All the lies, the truth about Lexicon and who I am, and most of all, how I'm not the hero everyone says I am. Rosalie was right. In a TV show, it's easy to put on an act, one so good that even I fooled myself. But look what happened here. I was scared, I ran away, I let other people fight my battles. I was a coward, and the worst part was that I couldn't own up to it. I kept telling myself that because I have all these amazing powers, I'm automatically a hero, but I was wrong. I'm not a real hero after all. I failed."

"You don't get it, do you?" Tobey said in astonishment. "That may have been true once, but that's not the WordGirl sitting next to me. You've grown so much during this week, and yet you don't even realize it." After a brief pause, he continued. "WordGirl, when you jumped in front of Queen Islanzadi and Amoratta, what went through your mind?"

"Nothing really," WordGirl said. "It was mostly just instinct. I just wanted to protect them, and that was the only way I could."

"See? That's the point. Being a hero isn't about fighting; it's about protecting. You were willing to sacrifice yourself to save them, and most of the time, that takes even more courage than fighting. And yet you didn't run away, but rather, you stayed to do what you knew was best for others, something you've been doing for years. You've given up your happiness and relationships with your family and friends to do what the world needs, not just what you want. You've been a hero all this time, WordGirl. You never failed us. Actually, if anything, I'm the one who failed you."

"Huh?" asked WordGirl. "What do you mean?"

Tobey took a deep breath, deciding he might as well say it now. Finally owning up to everything he'd done, he said, "All I've ever wanted was for you to love me. You've known that. But here, I took it too far. I hurt you, WordGirl. You almost died because of me, all because I couldn't control my obsession for you. I loved you, and I still do, but it was in all the wrong ways for all the wrong reasons. You… you deserve better."

For a while, the two sat in silence. WordGirl didn't contradict him, possibly because they both knew it was true, but the more like reason was that she, a Lexiconian, was at a loss for words. Never had she ever expected Tobey of all people to atone for his misdeeds, and a certain fluttering sensation arose in her heart.

Finally, WordGirl spoke up. "So, where do we go from here?" she asked softly, her voice like delicate china.

"Well, Mother's been thinking of moving to Meatropolis to help out with the massive crime wave there," Tobey said. "Maybe… maybe I'll encourage her. Maybe it's best if I have a fresh start."

After an awkward silence, in which both of them realized they had given away far too much about their feelings than expected, Tobey said nervously, blushing, "Well, I'll just leave you alone now. I think the portal will be ready soon, and I want to be there for it." Tobey then hastily arose and nearly sprinted for the door, wanting to get out of this embarrassing situation.

_She's probably mad at me, she probably thinks I'm a fool, she's probably laughing to herself-_

"Wait, Tobey!" called WordGirl, getting up from her chair. Tobey turned around to look at her and at once found himself awestruck by her beauty, a beauty that ran deeper than appearance, a beauty that was more glorious than the sun. "B-before you go," she stuttered nervously, "I mean… I… I just wanted to say…" -she paused to collect her thoughts- "Thank you," she said sincerely, a smile teasing her lips. "And whatever path you may take in life, I wish nothing but the best for you."

Relieved, Tobey smiled back as he slipped past the doorway and out of sight, leaving WordGirl alone with her thoughts once more.

Still smiling softly, WordGirl looked down at the object she had been cradling in her hands and gasped.

The Amoratta, the Flower of Love, was in full bloom.

* * *

"Now, the portal will need about ten minutes to stabilize before we can go," Two-Brains explained to the crowd of villains. "So, I suggest you all gather your things as we make our final arrangements."

No one moved.

"Does anyone have to use the bathroom?"

Still no one.

Two-Brains sighed. "I think there are some cookies in the kitchen!"

At once, there was a mad rush to the door as all the villains stampeded toward the false prospect of cookies.

The scientist breathed a sigh of relief and exasperation at their foolishness. Couldn't they take the hint that he wanted to be alone?

Oh well, he couldn't ask for too much. And so, Two-Brains proceeded to go room to room in search of Jenny, just so he could say goodbye personally.

In all honesty, the doctor found Jenny to have quite an interesting yet fairly simplistic personality. Her actions were usually inexplicable to his genius, and it seemed this even held true for the girl herself. However, Two-Brains knew all too well that all she did was done in the name of her element, Love, an elusive yet captivating concept from an intellectual perspective. Her love, however, was not the shallow, cheesy love-at-first sight idea that was constantly being slammed in his face by society, but rather, a love that ran far truer and deeper and was admittedly fascinating. And then, of course, there was always that mysterious way in which she could connect with those around her on such a deeper level, so much so that he had even begun to warm up to Jenny, even admitting things about himself that he had never planned on divulging. There was also how her seemingly childish views were said with such wisdom that their truth could not be denied. In this way, Two-Brains found Jenny to be naïve and wise and admirable and confusing all at the same time. And it was for this reason that Two-Brains wanted to say goodbye, for he knew his logical, scientific mind would not be put at ease until he solved the enigma of Jenny's personality.

Finally, the scientist spotted Jenny curled up on the porch swing, with her eyes closed as if in deep thought. The sunlight caught at her curly gold hair and illuminated her face like an angelic halo. Knowing the search for nonexistent cookies would not preoccupy the villains forever, Two-Brains hurried toward the door, all the while wondering about what could possibly be the cause of the abnormal beating of his now racing heart.

* * *

Jenny knew he was coming even before she heard his footsteps approach the front door. She opened her eyes only after she heard the door creak open to reveal the scientist Dr. Two-Brains.

"Hello," Jenny greeted politely as she arranged herself into a more formal position and moved to the side to make room for him to sit down, all the while wondering why he was here.

Then, hoping she wouldn't come off as too rude, she asked, "Isn't the portal ready yet?"

"It takes about ten minutes for everything to calibrate," the doctor replied.

Jenny nodded as if she knew what that meant, and, not knowing what else to say, turned her eyes to stare blankly at the houses adjacent to hers, although clearly, her vacant gaze implied her thoughts were elsewhere.

Something in Jenny's eyes looked so lost and forlorn that Two-Brains asked concernedly, "Is everything alright, Jenny?"

"Yes, everything's fine, I suppose," Jenny replied. "It's just that… I don't know. I know Kerry, Syrena, and I were supposed to save the day, but now that I think about it, it doesn't really feel like we did anything. We didn't really save anything, did we? Lexicon was completely destroyed. And I wasn't even able to save Miss Power. It all just feels so… empty."

"Jenny," Two-Brains began reassuringly, "you _did _do something. You saved an entire city from wasting their lives by giving them meaning. You reunited WordGirl with her mother. You saved your world from being destroyed by Miss Power, even if that didn't turn out the way you wanted."

"Yes, I know, but that all just feels so inadequate. I've kept asking myself over and over, 'Why couldn't I, the Element of Love, save Miss Power?' Was Rosalie the true Element of Love? Am I somehow weaker than the other girls? Why didn't my element work when it mattered most?"

"You don't realize it, do you?" Two-Brains said thoughtfully. "The impact you have on people. Jenny… you're a very special girl. You have this magic spark inside you that can touch other people's hearts. You can change people's lives. The only reason you couldn't save Miss Power is because she didn't want to save herself. It's a two-way street. She witnessed your love, but she rejected it anyway. She made her choice, and the fact that you would even offer her that choice when it would put your own life in jeopardy is a level of selflessness I've never seen. But the fact remains is that there will always be people like Miss Power, people who reject love, in this world, and there's nothing that can be helped about that. But I believe you can and will counter all that hate, Jenny. In your own way, I believe you can change the world."

When Jenny did not respond, Two-Brains added, "You're a very strange girl, Jennifer Swan, almost like a puzzle. I don't believe I can ever hope to understand you, no matter how much I try."

"I am not a science experiment," Jenny replied bluntly. "I'm not meant to be understood, nor is love. It's meant to be discovered day by day, and yet it is as infinite as the universe, its secrets never fully unraveled. That's what makes it beautiful, you know, the fact that it will forever be new, forever withstand the wear of time and last for eternity. You know that; I know you do. Wherever you go, you can always find a piece of Jessamine, hidden away in the most unexpected places of our world. You can't explain why, but it's true nevertheless."

"I believe you're right, Jenny," Two-Brains remarked, blown away once again by this girl's seemingly limitless wisdom. "And that's why I'd like to thank you for all you've done for me. After all this time, you've finally reminded me of what makes life meaningful."

"You're welcome," Jenny replied serenely. "And I want you to know that I will always remember you."

As Two-Brains nodded and got up, Jenny knew there was more he wanted to say, just as she did. However, Jenny didn't try to stop Two-Brains as he walked out the door and left her life. She knew he knew, anyway, beyond any shadow of the doubt. And yet, the words bubbled to her mouth regardless, but they were never released, even after the door swung shut. The words would never leave her lips, but she liked them there anyway, for that meant they would always be with her, close to her heart.

* * *

6 Months Later

Date: December 22, 2012

Location: Denver, Colorado

_Love is a twisted thing. Some say love is something to be served on a silver platter, to be abused and taken advantage of without giving anything in return. These are the ignorant ones. Some say love is a perfect, immaculate gift, one they cannot possibly deserve and therefore will never attain. These are the naïve ones. Some say love is something to be searched for throughout the world in vain as it elusively slips away. These are the foolish ones._

Jenny replayed the final words of her recently finished recount of her experience with the wiki girls in her head like soothing, meditative background music as she quietly worked on her painting. It was the final portrait depicting the Seven Grievances of Lexicon, the one with the entire planet depicted in the washed-out, sallow white of death, symbolizing its apocalypse. She had taken it after being teleported back to Earth, although as to why she kept it, she never quite knew. She had been painting the color back into it for weeks, and she was very close to completing it. In her mind, there was the echo of Two-Brain's words to her just before Miss Power came,_ 'I only wish you could paint us a happy ending, or better yet, just wipe the canvas clean and start anew. Paint a new world, a better one, one the human race can be proud of.' _And in her own way, Jenny had been trying to do just that. She didn't think it would help bring back Lexicon, though she liked to think it would.

Holding the painting up to the light, Jenny paused to inspect her work. For this particular project, she had rejected her harsh, obtrusive acrylic paints in favor of softer, watercolor pastels. She admired the rolling green hills and the kaleidoscope of rainbows glinting off the sleek crystal city, both accentuated by contrasting light and shadows, which Jenny had taken great pains to make sure were just right. Every little blade of grass had been painted, every tree perfectly detailed, every cloud unique as winter snowflakes. Besides what was already outlined, Jenny had taken the liberty to add a few extra details, such as three stars, one red, one gold, and one white, to symbolize the Royal Family. In the distance, there stood the figures of Queen Islanzadi, Amoratta, and even Miss Power. All in all, Jenny was proud to call it a masterpiece.

_But I say love is something to be discovered in the most unexpected recesses of our daily lives. It is then unearthed like a precious gemstone being mined from the barren earth and then sculpted from our incessant time, labor, and devotion into a masterpiece, glorious and beautiful._

Suddenly, Jenny's concentration on her painting was interrupted by a beeping from her laptop, signaling an incoming email. Jenny opened her inbox to find with little surprise that it was a message from Kerry and Syrena. It was so nice to know that even after all these months, they still kept in touch. She quickly skimmed over the email, with phrases like 'all honors classes for next semester,' 'practicing to try out for state swim team,' and 'should totally get together over Christmas break' jumping out at her.

Jenny looked down at her watch and saw with alarm that it was already past ten o'clock. Quickly hanging up her artist's smock and bundling up in her heavy winter coat and scarf, she headed out the door, knowing there was no time to lose if she wanted to catch the bus.

Jenny would respond to the email, but not now.

There was something she needed to do first.

* * *

Jenny was a lone figure standing against the stark backdrop of the gently falling snow. A bitter wind stung at her exposed hands and cheeks before whistling through the threadbare branches of a few scattered, dead trees, which was perfectly suitable given the setting. The world was quiet as Jenny bowed her head over a gravestone, one of the many in the cemetery. Little, white, powdery caps of snow rested upon the thousands of grey slabs of stone, some flanked by shriveled flowers that trembled in the wind.

Jenny's blonde hair hung limp across her face like a mourning veil as, crying, she wiped away the snow on the gravestone to read the inscription:

Rosalie Annabelle Winters

April 15, 1999 – June 21, 2012

"A beacon of light, a sign of hope, a symbol of love, and a beautiful soul."

Of course, Rosalie's body did not lie below, for the search patrols had never been able to recover it. About two months after her disappearance, authorities were forced to give up the cause and announce her dead, much to her parents' grief. Afterwards, two memorials were erected in her honor, one in her hometown of San Fransciso, and the other here in Denver, where she had last been seen.

Jenny had then taken it upon herself to fulfill Rosalie's dying wishes and write a letter to her parents. Obviously, she could not divulge the truth and had to stick to the official story, although she did try to include as much truth as possible. She had, however, included Rosalie's dying words as well as added her own message of consolation and the suggestion for the phrase on her gravestone. Jenny had never received a reply, so she had no idea how her they had reacted or even if they believed it, but that didn't bother her too much. She just hoped that there would come a day when they would finally understand and thus the memory of the daughter they loved would be laid to rest.

_And although we are the creators, we are the ones who become its servants, for true love is an infinite, never-ending sacrifice. No love is greater than another, for all love is infinite and precious. However, just as we serve love, so also does love gain strength from us as it endures through all the trials of a terrible and wonderful world to emerge stronger than ever before. And yet, at the same time, we rely on love for strength, for once it is experienced, it is impossible to let go. It becomes our entire world, not by shielding us in a restricting bubble, but by opening our eyes to see our lives in a new light, to see what was once hidden, to appreciate what was once overlooked, and to reveal the secret beauty in all things. In this way, love guides us through all storms and shelters us from drowning in the flames of our own hate. It is our crowning redemption, our pillar of light, and quite often, the only thing we are living for._

Hands trembling, Jenny laid a wreath of roses in front of the gravestone. Then stepping back, she began to speak.

"Hi, Rosalie," Jenny whispered, her voice trembling with emotion. "I'm… I'm just so sorry for… everything, really. You shouldn't have had to die like that. You shouldn't have had to die at all."

"At first, I couldn't understand why you did it," she continued, the stream of tears she hadn't noticed until now dripping faster, "why you betrayed us, but now I understand. You only did it because you loved your brother, and I can't fault you for that. You sacrificed everything for him. You believed in love. You were the Element of Love. You were just…"

_And yet, at the same time, love can be our greatest downfall. The wrong kind of love, that of obsession, dominance, or greed, can spread from a tiny spark to a brutal, out-of-control inferno, which only succeeds in scalding all those involved. This is the greatest trap of love, to be so enamored in its rapture that it becomes one of selfishness, where you only think of the desires of yourself instead of the desires of many._

"…misguided about how to do it," Jenny concluded. "You just didn't want to let go."

"But I forgive you for that, and… I hope you're happy now, wherever you are. I hope you have all the love in the world."

_Because of this, sometimes the greatest test of love is to let go, to sacrifice all you hold dear for the sake of another, to throw yourself headfirst into a world of cruelty, and see if the spark of sacrificial love in your heart is enough to survive the flames. _

Reaching up around her neck, Jenny unclasped the clockwork angel necklace, which she now wore. Mulan had been turned back to this state immediately after entering reality, for as she explained, she could only take her true angelic form or possess any power in a realm outside of reality.

Jenny draped the clockwork angel over Rosalie's grave. After all, it was rightfully Rosalie's, and she needed it more than Jenny did anyway. Now, Mulan would serve as Rosalie's guardian angel for all of eternity.

Feeling considerably more at peace with Rosalie's passing, Jenny turned to leave the cemetery.

It was hard to believe that six months had passed since that fateful day, although technically, due to bending the laws of time, it really had been only yesterday. So much had happened, both good and bad, and it had definitely changed the person Jenny was. In some ways, it felt as if she were ancient because of all the hardships she'd endured at such a young age. However, at the same time, it also felt as if she were a child, still able to believe in all the things the adult world scoffed at and rejected.

Oh, how wrong they were. So focused they were on having beautiful appearances that none of them remembered how important it was to have beautiful souls.

But Jenny would remember. And even if it was ignorant, naïve, and foolish, she would believe in love. It wasn't the kind of reality the rest of the world wanted, but it was hers, and she would fight to protect it.

With this in mind, Jenny headed for the iron gates of the cemetery. As she walked, all she could think about was what it relief it was to be home, back in reality.

Just then, the clockwork angel glowed with a divine radiance as, fluttering its wings, it came to life.

* * *

**So after nearly six months, that's finally the end. Wow. There were good moments, glaring flaws, and minor setbacks, but overall, I fell in love with this story, and I hoped you enjoyed it as well.**_  
_

**As for the last line, I'd love it if you would share your thoughts and interpretation in the reviews before I reveal my personal headcanon on what it means.**

**There will be one more chapter after this one, in which I will show a bunch of deleted scenes, thoughts on the characters, expansion on some of my philosophy, and explain/start a poll on where I plan to go from here. That will probably be posted sometime around Wednesday, so keep an eye out for that!**

**So, what did you guys think of this ending as well as this story as a whole? Liked it? Hated it? What were things you liked and disliked? Do you agree or disagree with my views on love? What would you like me to improve on? (The last one is big for me.) Please let me know in those lovely little reviews I adore.**

**Love to all,**

**Bella**


	19. Deleted Scenes and Afterword

Hi! Me again! This chapter is basically the fanfiction equivalent of the bonus/behind the scenes CD that sometimes comes with movies. I understand that some of you may not be interested in this, and that's perfectly fine with me. After all, it's your choice, and I don't want to waste your time. In fact, the only reason I'm doing this is because the writers of the wiki version wanted it. However, I do humbly ask that if that's the case, you skip down to the 'What's Next for Me' section, for I'm asking a question/starting a poll that pertains to all my readers. However, if you do find this interesting, then stick around! Not sure? Well, here's an index of what you can expect:

Deleted Scenes Part 1 (Script style/original wiki version)

Deleted Scenes Part 2 (Prose/my fanfiction version)

Jenny's Musings

Final Thoughts and Evaluation

Acknowledgements

What's Next for Me

Let's get started!

* * *

Deleted Scenes (Wiki Version)

Scene #1: Pillow Fight Extended

Written by TheLivingMe (Jenny)

Whammer: WHAM! This whammer fight is WHAMMIN'!

WG: Uh... Yeah.

Dr. Two-Brains (DTB): *is randomly shooting miniature pillows at people* Ahahaha!

Jenny: *grins at Two Brains being silly for once*

Lady Redundant Woman (LRW): *makes copies of herself holding a pillow*

DTB: *accidentally hits several villains whom may dislike that...*

LRW: Copies! Throw, fling, and quickly toss your pillows at him! *copies follow directions*

DTB: Hey! Oof! Watch it!

Whammer: *whams pillow at DTB* WHAM! *pillow bursts and feathers fly and cover everything in WMDWG's room* *Two Brains is especially covered in feathers*

Jenny: O.O *tries desperately not to laugh*

WG: *giggles*

DTB: *crosses arms and frowns*

Everyone else: *bursts into uncontrolable laughter at DTB's expression*

DTB: -.- *stands there looking like a grumpy chicken (he is VERY covered in feathers ^^)*

Narrator: *is laughing too hard to speak*

Jenny: I'll help! *jumps into action pose with vacuum cleaner* Two Brains, meet MR. B. CLEEN! *turns on switch* VROOM! 8D

DTB: *waves me away nervously* No no no, I can handle it, and NO VACCUM CLEANERS! Don't you read the instructions for those things?! It clearly says DO NOT use on living creatures, as in humans and animals! So shoo!

WG: I'll help, Doc! *flies I've over at super-speed*

DTB: *cringes* No, I said I don't need—

WG: *has already de-feathered him* *dusts self off*

Scene #2: Lack of Inspiration Intermission

Written by TheLivingMe (Jenny)

DTB: Let's hurry it up already! *stares at fourth wall* Someone continue before that thing breaks! It's been days since that happened, and we're all more than a little bored...

*camera shifts to show characters lounging around Mr. Big's basement*

BLHG: You said it, buddy. No one'll play Rock Paper Scissors with me anymore!

Invisi-Bill: That's cuz you're the best at it! You've defeated everyone multiple times! Yay for you!

Victoria: Hey, I'M the best at that game!

BLHG: Not to boast or anything, but I DID win a few rounds against you...

VB: But that's not fair! Because I'M the BEST!

Me: Uh... Someone better continue the story before this gets uncomfortable...

BLHG: *motions to a glaring Victoria* Uh, I think it's a little too late for that... Hehe...

IB: Yay! *poof* I'm gone! *poof* Now I'm not! *poof* I'm Invisi-Bill! Hooray!

DTB: Someone update before we all go crazy listening to him.

Me: Hey, be nice!

DTB: *groans*

...Kinda pathetic, eh? Well like I said...

Everyone: Please Continue!

Scene #3: Pre-Miss Power Battle Round 2 (Condensed in Chapter 10)

Written by TheLivingMe (Jenny)

DTB: Last time I checked, we are cartoons, ray guns don't really exist, it's impossible for anyone my size to eat tons of cheese, balls of electricity mixed with gamma rays and grape soda don't have minds of their own, little girls can't grow to be 50 feet tall when they get angry, alien superheroes don't exist, people can't survive having an evil rodent brain accidentally fused to their head, we–

Miss Question: Are you done yet? Haven't you noticed that Miss Power is back? *turns to everyone* Why are you all just standing there not doing anything?

Jenny: She's got a point. Everyone, ultra-emergency plan number two bazillion forty-eight point five!

DTB: Good idea! *jumps into action pose*

Everyone: O.o

WG: You know about that one? I've never even used it before!

Jenny: Um, I only know about it because I have writer's block and think it's cool. *shrugs*

WG: Okay everyone! *jumps into action pose next to Two Brains*

Jenny: *back-handsprings into somewhat silly action pose*

WG: Nice move!

Jenny: *bows dramatically* Thanks! *looks at MQ, BLHG, and Timmy Tim-Bo* You three! Do your stuff!

Miss Question: Like what?

Big Left-Hand Guy (BLHG): Yeah, we don't have very incredible powers...

Jenny: *rolls eyes* But you sure know how to pose!

Syrena: Wait, THAT'S ultra-emergency plan number two bazillion forty-eight point five? Posing?

Jenny and WG: *grin sheepishly* Yep.

Syrena: Alright then! *leaps into cool wolfy action pose*

Wiki Girls: *stand there awkwardly*

Jenny: *sighs exasperatedly* C'mon people, Miss Power isn't gonna hover up there all day! My author powers are barely keeping her at bay!

Seymour Orlando Smooth: What do you mean by that? *acts like he's holding a microphone*

Jenny: *blinks* Well, it means the only thing keeping her from attacking us right now is the fact that I keep rambling on and on about pointless things and am getting sidetracked. I keep going on and on and not having a good place to put that MP comes and attacks us.

Everyone: Okay...

Note: You can find the full wiki version on the WordGirl Wikia under Dr. Two-Brains third comment page.

* * *

Deleted Scenes (Fanfiction Version)

Scene #1: Queen Islanzadi in London (Chapter 18 flashback)

_Looking out the window of her spaceship, Queen Islanzadi let her gaze sweep over the London metropolis, which was quite drab and dreary compared to the wide sloping plains and grand crystal cities of Lexicon. Why her daughter, or anyone else for that matter, would ever choose to live in such a place was beyond her. _

_"Your Majesty," began a guard of the Lexiconian Army as bowing, he entered Queen Islanzadi's private chambers. "Princess Vultora has been located. She is currently at Westminster Abbey, though her reasons are unknown. A platoon of guards will keep her contained for the time being and are waiting for your command. I assume you wish to deal with this matter personally?"_

_"Indeed I do, General," Islanzadi replied, gracefully rising to her feet. "Lead me to her precise whereabouts. Tell the guard to find a secluded shelter from which to stage an ambush."_

_"My Queen, you wish to take Princess Vultora in public?" questioned the general. "Forgive me, Your Highness, but wouldn't it be more prudent to keep this discreet? London is a grand Earth metropolis; there will be crowds of humans interfering—"_

_"I will not wait another moment to bring Vultora back home," Islanzadi replied tersely. "It is time to act. Now, listen to me, General. My orders are very clear. Bring me to Vultora, no matter what the cost. The humans mean nothing to me. If there are witnesses, cut out their babbling tongues. If you are questioned, ask them how it feels to be stabbed with a knife. And if you encounter resistance, do not hesitate to rip out their hearts." _

Scene #2: Prayers of an Angel (Chapter 18)

"Jenny, come back!" cried Kerry, as in a moment of insanity, Jenny approached Miss Power. "She'll kill you! She'll kill you!"

But Jenny did not listen, ignoring their panicked screams as she marched to her death. In exhaustion, Kerry and Syrena collapsed to the ground, consumed by grief and hopelessness. The entire world was literally tearing at the seams, and there was nothing they could do but stumble around blindly in futile efforts to evade their deaths. There was nothing to grab hold on, and now that Jenny had left, everything was coming unraveled. No more could either girl tell what was real and what was lies, not that it mattered anyway. In a few minutes, nothing would matter. Their lives would be like little sparks of flame being snuffed out: useless, unimportant, and nonexistent in comparison to the grand scheme of the universe.

Next to them, Mulan also collapsed to her knees. At first, Kerry and Syrena thought she was crying, but through the film of tears clouding their eyes, they could see that the fallen angel's lips were trembling not with fear and anguish, but with prayer.

Upon this realization, the two wiki girls listened intently, wanting to know to whom Mulan was pleading for salvation. They highly doubted a fallen angel would implore to God, nor any other god of humanity. So to whom was Mulan asking for strength?

"Please," Mulan whispered, "find the strength inside yourself to carry us through…"

At that moment, it all became clear. Who alone possesses the wondrous ability to carry humanity through its darkest hour? Who provides comfort when all hope is lost? Who is Earth's greatest treasure? Who do the divine, worshipped and revered since time began, ask for strength, wisdom, and guidance?

The answer was simple.

The children.

* * *

Jenny's Musings

Written by The LivingMe (Jenny)

Scene #1: Reaction to Tobey and WordGirl's Early-Morning Romance (Chapter 7)

Jenny fidgeted uncomfortably. "Er, no offense Tobey, but that's kind of a little creepy..." she said quietly, edging away from the two. "What's the use in trying to force someone to like you? That's not true love."

She blinked, a little startled at herself. She wasn't exactly a big romance enthusiast...

Jenny glanced around at everyone looking at her, and embarrassedly slunk back further into the crowd, mumbling something along the lines of 'sorry...'.

Scene #2: Reaction to First Conversation with Two-Brains (Chapter 7)

"Doc..." began Jenny, gently but firmly placing a hand on his shoulder. "If there's anything at all in the craziness going on that I can still be sure of, it's that God never gives up on anyone, even cartoon characters."

She paused for a second, trying not to let her inner nervousness take over. 'I get stage fright at the weirdest times...' she thought briefly. 'I mean seriously, I'm not even on stage!' She sighed a tiny bit before shaking off the random thought and turning back to the doctor.

"It doesn't matter if your brain is fused with an evil mouse's," Jenny said quietly. "...it's you that counts. Not Squeaky. But even now, you've got a heart of gold compared to a lot of the people in our world."

Jenny bit her lip and turned away again. 'Figures,' she thought bitterly. 'Any other time, I can always think of something happy or silly to say, but at the serious, important times when it matters, I feel like I never say anything right...'

She gazed down at the floor, a little upset. 'I'm always so lighthearted and cheerful... It's great, I guess, but I feel like I can't take anything seriously...'

Scene #3: Reaction to Rosalie's Betrayal (Chapter 8)

"Seriously guys, what happened? And where's Rosali—"

Jenny stopped short, making a noise that sounded somewhat like a cross between a panicked gasp and a terrified squeak. The other exhausted villains watched quietly as she stood there, very still.

Suddenly Jenny yelped and rushed over wordlessly to the scientist, who was laying collapsed on the ground. "Doc...!" she said under her breath.

Two-Brains muttered something unintelligible, all the while clutching his rib cage in the excruciating pain. His broken body was twisted in several different ways, and apparently one or more of his shattered bones had jabbed through his skin, and he was already bleeding quite heavily.

Jenny sunk to her knees, trying to help despite the increasing dizziness enveloping her already-blurry vision. Everything... the very sight of it all, the sickening smell of blood, the mere fact that Two-Brains was injured...

She took a deep breath. "Ihavetokeepmyselftogether..." she thought to herself briefly. To her dismay, the world began to fade out, it looked... fuzzy... like a staticky TV...

She barely noticed or cared when she sank to the floor with a heavy clunk, unconscious.

"Great," she thought. Then everything blacked out.

* * *

Acknowledgements

I would personally like to thank lightball34, KimDWil71, TheLivingBeckyBotsford, FluffyKitten, kerrykoopa26, LuLu Dove, MusicNeverStops474, LWG, casrules401, DarkSunshine200, Riley, Anonymous, Guest, Wordgirl fan, A Pencil in her hand, TLWG, darklexirose, Insert Name Here, Jesussaves1611, 100goldpipes, Awesome, Eddy skipper 12, Capital-C, kailaroseclover, MysteriouslyNotNamed.0.0, and of course, my post-alpha editor and godfather, mhdp ninong, for all your reviews, kind words, and support throughout this project. And of course, I especially have to thank the other three writers of the wiki version, namely TheLivingMe, KerrytheBrony, and LexiconWolfGirl, to whom I owe my endless gratitude for making this fanfiction possible. Thank you all!

* * *

Final Thoughts and Evaluation

So, after six months of writing this story, how do I feel about it? Well, it definitely wasn't what I expected at all, although I mean that in a positive sense. When I took on this project, what I intended was to just take a casual story on the wiki, make it fluid and cohesive, add a few of my trademark quirks of writing style, and write a conclusive ending. As you can see, that's not what happened at all. I put so much more effort into this than expected, not that I wasn't intending to put effort in at the beginning, but I got really, really into it. I fell in love with this story twice, once at the beginning, with the first 7 or so chapters, and then again with the whole Lexicon arch. I also never intended to have this grand, overarching moral about life, which is the main reason why I changed the title from What Happens in Cyberspace to Believing in the Beautiful Things, because I felt that the story was no longer just about a couple of friends on the Internet saving the day from some stereotypical villain. Overall, I'm satisfied with how it turned out. It was a definite improvement from my older works, and of course, I relished the opportunity to spit in the face of modern society values… but I digress.

Before I get too caught up with my own ego, let me point out the things I did right and the things I did wrong, an evaluation in a sense.

I think the real pinnacle of what I did correctly was in terms of characters. I took on a much larger cast than I've done previously, and this lended itself to a lot of character growth through trials, interaction, and self-realization, albeit with not as much subtlety and fluidity as I would have liked, though I still take pride in this. It was a step in the right direction to have the characters grow into their Elements rather than already exemplify them perfectly. (MLP sidenote: This is one of the many reasons why I say Rarity is best pony, because unlike the others, she is the only one of the mane 6 with the potential to further grow in character as the Element of Generosity, rather than have her personality perfectly defined with no room for development. At a lesser extent, this also holds true for Twilight, due to her constant mastering of new spells as Celestia's student.) However, the larger cast was also one of my many downfalls, for many of the characters, mainly Kerry, Syrena, and Miss Power, slipped through the cracks in terms of development and 3-dimensional personalities.

The plot was another mixed bag. I took a sizeable risk in this story by going in practically blind, with only the incomplete wiki version and my own vague notions to guide me. And while this tactic did succeed in keeping me engaged for what is currently my longest project, it did have the drawback of many plot points coming completely out of left field, especially toward the end. And with that said, here are my goals for my next project:

*expand on character personality traits (Can lean on 1-dimensional molds, but should transcend stereotypes. Maybe use real life people as inspiration?)

*work on plot intricacy/consistency

*stop being so heavy-handed with morals – develop subtlety to get points across

*stop being lazy and actually reread through chapters for spelling and grammar errors :D

Did I miss anything? Is there some other flaws you've noticed that you'd like me to correct? If so, let me know in the reviews so I can take note of it before I start my next project. And what exactly is my next project? Well, that brings me to…

* * *

What's Next for Me

Honestly, I'm not sure where I'll be going from here. Originally, I was planning on starting the Everlasting Love trilogy, but (I feel terrible for saying this) due to the idea becoming stale and unoriginal, that probably won't happen. Actually, now that I've finished this story, the gears are turning in my brain to write a sequel to this, even though I only ever meant for this to be a standalone. Then, of course, there was my plan to leave the WordGirl fanfiction and write for My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, and while I do hope to carry it out, the story is still in its preliminary conception. Basically, I'm torn between these ideas.

So this is where you come in! I will be putting up a poll on my profile page (although you are of course welcome to share your thoughts in the reviews) asking you, my readers, what story you would like me to write. Here are the options:

**The Everlasting Love trilogy (Quest for Immortality, The Heart of a Beta, and Rising to Paradise)**

Summary: What if WordGirl never came to Earth? 16-year-old Princess Alexandria Theia is living the life her dreams with the charming Prince Tobias, but when Planet Earth, a rebel uprising, and a disastrous arranged marriage come into play, will their love be able to overcome the odds? Together, will Lexicon and Earth be able to conquer their greatest enemy: Death itself?

Pros: Improve on plot intricacy, deal with broader conceptions (primarily death), experiment with new plot elements (such as Death being the narrator), and generally screwing with your minds.

Cons: Plot has difficulty coming together, my overarching plan could easily collapse if written even the slightest bit incorrectly, and would take too much time than I'm willing to devote.

**The Beautiful Souls series (title currently in progress)**

Summary: After the collapse of Planet Lexicon and the defeat of Miss Power, serious challenges still face the world. In London, the Conclave of Lexicon, an organization of superhumans working to recreate Lexicon on Earth, has risen. Meanwhile, 15-year-old Jenny has fallen into depression after her friends have seemingly abandoned her, causing her to become a weak shell of the vibrant Element of Love she once was. With the Symbols of Beauty disbanded, who will be Earth's salvation?

Pros: Expand on plot elements from Believing in the Beautiful Things, work further on character development, fixing mistakes, plotholes, etc. (such as Kerry and Syrena getting their own subplot), and I am currently enamored with the plot.

Cons: Entirely OC cast (although wiki girls and Mulan will be reoccurring characters), deal with considerably darker aspects, and might 'lose vision' (i.e. like I did with Parts 4 and 5 of Radiance). However, I will definitely limit myself to a trilogy. (Hear that, future me? A trilogy, no more!)

**MLP fanfiction (title currently in progress)**

Summary: Again still in-progress, although it will most likely focus on Applebloom and possibly Princess Celestia (if Celestia is included, the alicorns and the CMC will probably be too).

Pros: Get to explore a larger fandom (more writing critiques) and write about best CMC and best princess. (Silly Bella, that's not how you spell Luna!) :D

Cons: Only vague notions of the plot at this point in time.

So there you go; those are my three ideas. Right now, I think what's most likely going to happen is that if you're all okay with the Beautiful Souls idea, I'll do it, and then somewhere along the line, once I've expanded upon my plans, I'll do the MLP story simultaneously. However, I still want to hear from you and know what you'd be interested in seeing. Also, note that even if I do start writing for other fandoms, this does not mean I will be leaving you. It's been an absolute blessing to meet all of you, and I can't thank you enough for standing by me as I took my first steps into fanfiction. You've made me laugh at some of the jokes you put in your reviews, you've made me cry at how sweet you are, but most of all, you've given me the motivation to keep writing in the hopes of becoming what I've always wanted to be, an author.

This leads me to my second point in this section. I know that one or two of you have expressed the view that you think I could be a professional author. This is definitely a passionate dream of mine, and while that is ever so touching to hear, I am nowhere near that stage now (it's a real slap in the face to discover a 5th grader has hand-written a 742 page story). Most authors are never published before they are 21, and I doubt I'll be breaking any age barriers. However, at 72, 660 words without the added author notes, this story was at the average length of a young adult novel. Length is no longer an issue to me, and now, my goal for the next few years will be to improve and refine my writing skills. If I am ever blessed with the chance to become a published author, though, expect to find a plethora of shout-outs from me!

As of now, however, I will be taking a hiatus from fanfiction for the rest of April, mainly to just take a break and work on thought-formulating stage of writing before I begin my next project. You can expect a message sometime at the beginning of May to announce the exact date of when I'll be coming back. Until then, I'll be wishing you safety, happiness, and an endless supply of WG fanfiction from the pens of all the wonderful writers that have blessed this truly amazing fanbase.

Love to all,

Bella


	20. ANNOUNCEMENT

**Hey everyone! It's Bella here once again! I'm back from my month-long hiatus from fanfiction, and it feels so good to be here. I missed you guys so much! Four weeks without your kind reviews is awful to say the least. But now I'm back, and so, after taking careful consideration of all your opinions, the verdict is in. For the next few months, I will be writing, in addition to this little surprise I have planned, the sequel to Believing in the Beautiful Things, entitled Beauty in Word and Heart, the second part of the Beautiful Souls series.**

Extended Summary:

Even after the destruction of Planet Lexicon, dire problems still face our world. The Conclave of Lexicon, an underground organization of superhumans attempting to take over Earth, are preparing their final plans to bring the planet into a so-called Golden Age, with the Element of Love somehow finding herself in the center of it all. Meanwhile, Jenny herself has fallen into a state of depression after her friends have seemingly abandoned her, causing her to become a hollow shell of the vibrant Element of Love she once was. But apparently, challenges can also be found across the globe, where Kerry and Syrena have inadvertedly found themselves tangled in the twisted politics of a mysterious organization known as the Enclave. With the Symbols of Beauty disbanded, who will be Earth's salvation? This time around, the three friends must brace themselves for trials unlike anything before in order to save the world, even as one girl uncovers a life-changing secret about herself and what it truly means to be a Lexiconian.

**This story will premiere on Friday, May 10, which is about a week and a half from now. During that time, however, I challenge all of you to guess the name of the story's main antagonist. Here's a hint: It's not a new character; this person has appeared/been mentioned in the show and/or Believing in the Beautiful Things. (To those few people who know it already: "Shh! It's a secret!" :D) Leave your guesses in the reviews, and if you can be the first one to answer correctly, I will send you - provided you have an account - a sneak peek of the prologue. Remember, the release date is Friday, May 10. Can't wait to hear from you!**

**Love to all,**

**Bella **


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